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The Gospel on Fire:

The Acts of the Apostles

A Connections Bible Study

Cindy Wheatley, Ph.D.

©Cindy Wheatley 2

Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3

Acts 1:1-26: The Double Portion ................................................................................................................. 5

Acts 2:1-13: Come, Holy Spirit, Come ......................................................................................................... 9

Acts 2:14-47: Proclaiming Christ as Lord .................................................................................................. 12

Acts 3:1-4:22: In the Name of Jesus .......................................................................................................... 15

Acts 4:23-5:11: God Is Sovereign .............................................................................................................. 18

Acts 5:12-42: The Power of God ............................................................................................................... 21

Acts 6:1-7: The Sacred Trust ...................................................................................................................... 24

Acts 6:8-7:60: A Man Full of God’s Grace and Power .............................................................................. 27

Acts 8:1-40: A Divine Appointment .......................................................................................................... 31

Acts 9:1-31: The Worst of Sinners ............................................................................................................. 34

Acts 9:32-10:23: The Transformation of Peter ......................................................................................... 38

Acts 10:23-11:18: The Gentile Pentecost .................................................................................................. 41

Acts 11:19-30: Encouragers ....................................................................................................................... 44

Acts 12:1-24: Herod’s Last Stand .............................................................................................................. 47

Acts 13:1-14:28: Mission to the Gentiles .................................................................................................. 50

Acts 15:1-35: The Jerusalem Council ........................................................................................................ 54

Acts 15:36-16:40: Fruitful Suffering ........................................................................................................... 58

Acts 17:1-34: The Success of Failure ......................................................................................................... 60

Acts 18:1-17: Strength in Weakness .......................................................................................................... 64

Acts 19:1-41: Dark Forces .......................................................................................................................... 67

Acts 20:1-38: Finishing the Race ............................................................................................................... 71

Acts 21:1-23:11: Bound for the Lord .......................................................................................................... 74

Acts 23:12-25:12: Blameless ...................................................................................................................... 77

Acts 25:13-26:32: Paul’s Last Defense ....................................................................................................... 80

Acts 27:1-28:31: Power Made Perfect in Weakness ................................................................................ 82

Summary .................................................................................................................................................... 84

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Introduction

As I write this, we are just beginning to see the summer blockbuster movies come out in theaters. We

are used to sequels, and we can usually tell at the end of one movie that they are setting up the next.

Readers of Luke’s gospel should notice how the end sets up the sequel, the Acts of the Apostles. In his

final appearance to his disciples, Jesus tells them: “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and

rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his

name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you

what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high”

(Luke 24:46-49). In these few verses we can see the entire plot of Acts: the apostles as witnesses of the

gospel to the entire world; the fulfillment of God’s promises for the church; and the power of the Holy

Spirit that sends them out to do miraculous things. When we leave them at the end of Luke they have

witnessed Jesus’ ascension and they have returned to the temple to worship and praise God for what

they have seen.

In the introduction to Acts, Luke tells Theophilus: “In my former book…I wrote about all that Jesus began

to do and to teach” (Acts 1:1 emphasis mine). This is the reason why Luke had to write the sequel: the

story wasn’t finished! The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ were just the beginning of a

wonderful new chapter in God’s story. Jesus was still acting in the world through the Holy Spirit. We

know the power of the Holy Spirit is essential to Luke’s story; it’s mentioned 13 times in Luke and 40

times in Acts. Like Elisha in 2 Kings 2 who received a double portion of Elijah’s spirit when he was taken

up to heaven, the apostles received a double portion of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in Acts 2 and loosed

the greatest power the world has ever known. Talk about superheroes!

But this power comes with a price and we see them suffer the same conflict and persecution that Jesus

suffered. In fact, the movement of the story in Acts mirrors that of Jesus’ journey. It begins in Jerusalem

and then moves outward. Jesus told them: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on

you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the

earth” (Acts 1:8). That is exactly the way that Acts unfolds as the apostles (especially Paul) spread the

good news across the Roman Empire. Acts begins in Jerusalem and ends in Rome. The difference

between Acts and the gospels is that Luke does not show us Paul’s execution in Rome, but ends on a

triumphant note: “He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all

boldness and without hindrance!” (Acts 28:31). This is the story of the early church: the triumph of the

apostles, empowered by the Holy Spirit, spreading the good news of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles despite

conflict both from within the movement and without.

Acts is also a priceless account of the inner workings of the early church. We can see how the early

believers struggled with many of the same issues we struggle with today: building community,

discerning God’s will for the church, dealing with diversity and clashing cultures. Paul provides even

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more detail about these issues in his letters to the churches, but Acts shows us how to be a human

institution serving a divine purpose. Once again Peter serves as the representative of those who had to

let go of old beliefs in order to embrace the larger vision of God for his people. Peter’s vision in Acts 10

is the last example of divine revelation that we see until we get to John’s vision in the book of

Revelation. In Peter’s vision, it was revealed that Gentiles are included in God’s plan for salvation that

was first offered to Israel. In his letter, Peter repeated the invitation that God first offered at Mount

Sinai (Exo. 19:5-6): “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special

possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful

light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received

mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10). That is the miraculous story of Acts: the

fulfillment of God’s original plan that began with a single nomad in the desert and grew into a holy

nation that reaches “to the ends of the earth.”

A note about reading Acts: It is helpful to consult Bible maps as you follow the missionary journeys of

the Apostles. Many study Bibles and commentaries contain maps. You can also use online tools such as

www.biblemap.org and www.bible-history.com. These will enhance your understanding of the

importance of geography to the story of the early church.

http://www.biblemap.org/

http://www.bible-history.com/

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The Double Portion

Day 1

Acts 1:1-26

We saw from the beginning of his gospel that Luke’s agenda was to “write an orderly account” of “the

things that have been fulfilled among us” (Luke 1:1-4). Luke said that Jesus “gave many convincing

proofs” (v. 3) of his resurrection, which was at the very heart of the gospel message. But the gospel is

not just the events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. The gospel is God’s master plan beginning in

Genesis through Revelation. It is the apostolic message that the original 12 disciples carried out into the

world, and that we still carry into the world today. It is known as the kerygma, the proclamation. That is

what the apostles were witnesses to and what all the events and speeches in Acts are centered on. In

Luke 24:25-27 Jesus modeled this proclamation when he walked with the two disciples on the road to

Emmaus: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the

Scriptures concerning himself.” The kerygma as proclaimed by the apostles in Acts consisted of the

following truths.1

The promises by God made in the Old Testament have now been fulfilled with the coming of

Jesus the Messiah

Jesus was anointed by God at his baptism as Messiah

Jesus began his ministry in Galilee after his baptism

He conducted a beneficient ministry, doing good and performing mighty works by the power of

God

The Messiah was crucified according to the purpose of God

He was raised from the dead and appeared to his disciples

Jesus was exalted by God and given the name “Lord”

He gave the Holy Spirit to form the new community of God

He will come again for judgment and the restoration of all things

All who hear the message should repent and be baptized.

Luke summarizes this gospel message at the beginning of Acts by revisiting recent events and by

repeating John the Baptists’ words from Luke 3:16: “For John baptized with water, but in a few days you

will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” John added “and fire,” which Jesus leaves out but God definitely

did not! This is a new definition of “baptism,” which had been associated with water and purification.

1 Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary, Volume 2: New Testament, Kenneth L. Barker & John R. Kohlenberger, III, eds.

Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994, p. 393.

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But fire purifies as well. We also hear a repeat of the disciples’ favorite question: “Lord, are you at this

time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (v. 6). Jesus reiterates that only God knows when the

ultimate judgment will come, but that they have a mission to do here on earth: “you will receive power

when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and

Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (v. 8). This is a reiteration of the Great Commission, which exists

in some form in all of the gospel accounts (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21).

As Ajith Fernando reminds us: “In view of the urgency of Jesus’ commission, we should all seek to be

Great Commission Christians and endeavor to have all Christian organizations and churches to be Great

Commission movements. We should constantly live under the influence of our mission, so that we are

willing to pay whatever price is required in order to reach the lost.”2 But Luke makes it clear that we

can’t live as Great Commission Christians without the power of the Holy Spirit.

The significance of what happened to the apostles at Pentecost is deepened when we connect the

events recorded in Acts 1 with the story of Elijah and Elisha in 2 Kings 2. As Elijah (the only biblical

character who was taken up into heaven alive except Jesus) prepared to leave, he asked Elisha “what

can I do for you before I am taken from you?” (2 Kings 2:9). Elisha responded: “Let me inherit a double

portion of your spirit.” Since the double portion was the inheritance of the first born son, we can

assume that Elisha was asking to be adopted as Elijah’s spiritual son and receive the inheritance of his

spiritual power. That would explain why Elisha called “My father! My father!” as Elijah was taken up into

heaven (2 Kings 2:12). But Elijah understood that the Holy Spirit was not his to give, since it came from

God. So he said, “if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not” (v.

10). Then a chariot of fire appeared and Elijah ascended into heaven. We are told “Elisha saw this” (v.

12). If we fast forward to Acts 1, we see Jesus tell the apostles: “you will receive power when the Holy

Spirit comes on you,” then “he was taken up before their very eyes” (Acts 1:8-9, emphasis mine). Jewish

readers would have recognized the significance of this scene and connected it with the ascension of

Elijah. The apostles would receive the double portion of the Holy Spirit when fire came down from

heaven during Pentecost. It is worth noting that after receiving the double portion, Elisha performed

more miracles than Elijah had. Similarly, Jesus had told his disciples “Very truly I tell you, whoever

believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these,

because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12). As the adopted sons and daughters of Christ, we can do

great things through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The second half of chapter 1 deals with the replacement of Judas as one of the original 12 disciples. Luke

explains that there were 120 believers present, but still only 12 apostles who were eyewitnesses to

Jesus’ ministry from the beginning. Luke recites their names again in verse 13 and adds his mother and

brothers to the list of those present. This group represented the proof of all that happened from Jesus’

birth to his death and resurrection (Acts 1:22). They would be an important part of spreading the gospel,

so their number had to be complete. Peter reminded them that the original 12 had biblical significance

as representing the original 12 tribes of Israel, so Judas had to be replaced.

2 Ajith Fernando, Acts: The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998, p. 21.

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Immediately following Jesus’ ascension, the apostles returned to Jerusalem and went “upstairs to the

room where they were staying” (v. 13). I wonder if this was the same Upper Room where they

celebrated the Last Supper. That would be appropriate since that was the place where Jesus

inaugurated the new covenant, which they were now commissioned to carry out. That was their Mount

Sinai. But I think the upper room is significant for another reason: the apostles were preparing for their

own death and resurrection. Not physically, but spiritually. When James and John asked Jesus to let

them sit at his left and right in heaven, Jesus asked them: “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized

with the baptism I am baptized with?” (Mark 10:38). At the last supper he told them, “I confer on you a

kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my

kingdom” (Luke 22:29). Jesus let them know that he was not the only one who would be transformed

through suffering. In order to come into God’s glory, we must go through our own death and

resurrection. That’s what the apostles were about to experience through the fire of the Holy Spirit.

We see how important prayer was to the early church. Jesus had once been in their midst, and now he

was gone, but they still had a direct line to speak with him. Just as Jesus prayed in the Garden of

Gethsemane the night of his betrayal, the apostles spent the night before Pentecost in prayer. “They

joined together constantly in prayer” (v. 14). Prayer is the powerhouse of the Holy Spirit. John Wesley

spent about four hours every morning in his prayer closet! That was the secret to his life of piety. We

should each have our own prayer closet or upper room where we go to spend time with God each day.

As they prepared to select the new apostle, they offered up this prayer: “Lord, you know everyone’s

heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left

to go where he belongs” (vv. 24-25). Then they cast lots. Casting lots was an ancient practice used to

ensure impartiality in decision making (1 Chronicles 24:5). The selection of the next apostle was so

important that they did everything they could to make sure it was based on God’s will and not a

personality contest. It should be noted that after Pentecost, we do not see any more references to

casting lots. Presumably, that’s because they now had the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The first chapter of Acts serves as a template for the rest of the book. Luke verifies the truth of the

gospel message and clarifies the mission of the early church to carry it to “Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria,

and to the ends of the earth.” The apostles are restored to their original number of 12, and they are

about to receive the missing ingredient: the power of the Holy Spirit. The stage is set for the greatest

revolution the world has ever known.

Passage for Meditation

Acts 1:8

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in

Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

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Questions for Reflection

1. What does it mean today to be a witness to the gospel? Are you fully aware of the power of the

kerygma?

2. Unity and wholeness was important to the early Christians. How can we promote unity and

wholeness in the church today? Why is that so important in carrying out the Great Commission?

Imaginative Exercise

Imagine that you are one of the original apostles who will now bear the responsibility of carrying the

gospel message to the world. Paraphrase the kerygma in your own words.

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Come, Holy Spirit, Come

Day 2

Acts 2:1-13

Pentecost is the Greek name for the Jewish harvest festival, or Festival of Weeks, during which Jews

celebrate the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. It commemorates the giving of the Ten Commandments

fifty days after the exodus and the ratification of the covenant between God and his people. It is

appropriate for us to view the Christian Pentecost as depicted in Acts 2 as the ratification of the new

covenant, when the apostles were baptized by the Holy Spirit with tongues of fire, just as the original

Israelites were splattered with blood by Moses. The original Pentecost was the birth of the nation of

Israel; the Christian Pentecost was the birth of the church of Jesus Christ. I love the symmetry of this!

Jesus told his disciples this day would come. After his resurrection he reminded them of John the

Baptist’s prediction that they would be baptized by the Holy Spirit and fire (Luke 3:16). In John 15:26,

Jesus told them he would send the Counselor or Advocate: “When the Advocate comes, whom I will

send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.

And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.” He promised his disciples

that this “Spirit of truth” would speak through them when they would be seized and brought before the

authorities: “For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or

contradict” (Luke 21:15). The Holy Spirit, then, is the power and presence of God that is within us from

the time of our conversion and baptism (our own personal Pentecost!) that gives us charismatic

authority to speak and act for Christ. When we say “we are the hands and feet of Christ,” that’s really

what we mean.

The Holy Spirit empowers, but it also purges and re-creates. In his 1759 hymn “Come, Holy Spirit,

Come,” Joseph Hart articulates this aspect of Pentecost:

‘Tis Thine to cleanse the heart,

To sanctify the soul,

To pour fresh life in every part,

And new create the whole.

The believers who were in the Upper Room that day did not just have an amazing experience to tell their

friends about. They were transformed into something new. In yesterday’s meditation I suggested that

they experienced a spiritual death and resurrection. This is referred to in the Christian faith as the

Paschal Mystery. All believers experience the cycle of death, resurrection, and exaltation that Jesus

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experienced. As Ronald Rolheiser explains it, “the paschal mystery is the mystery of how we, after

undergoing some kind of death, receive new life and new spirit.”3 Jesus said, “unless a kernel of wheat

falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John

12:24). This cycle of death and rebirth occurs over and over again throughout our lives as we experience

paschal deaths that lead to new life and a new spirit in Jesus Christ. As Rolheiser points out, “paschal

death is a death that, while ending one kind of life, opens the person undergoing it to receive a deeper

and richer form of life.”4 That is, we experience a resurrection. That is what the apostles experienced on

Pentecost. They died to their old life and were reborn into the life of the Spirit. And the world would

never be the same again.

The scene in the Upper Room is ripe with imagery. There are three components to this scene:

1. “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole

house where they were sitting.” We often forget that a strong wind preceded the fire. The

Greek word for breath is pneuma, which is often used to describe the Holy Spirit within us. God

breathed new life into his believers just as he breathed life into the dry bones in Ezekiel 37.

2. “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.”

Throughout the Old Testament, God was associated with fire. We should recall the burning bush

and the pillar of fire in the desert. In Genesis 15:17 God appeared to Abraham as a smoking

firepot with a blazing torch. When the Israelites reached Mount Sinai, the mountain was

covered with smoke “because the Lord descended on it in fire” (Exodus 19:18). There are

numerous examples of God using fire to punish, but he also used fire to cleanse and to create.

When Jesus told his disciples, “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were

already kindled!” (Luke 12:49), he wasn’t talking about destroying the world but about renewing

it. He was talking about Pentecost.

3. “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit

enabled them.” The apostles were endowed with the power to speak the truth to all nations.

Peter makes the connection with Joel 2:28: “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all

people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young

men will see visions.” More importantly, Joel says: “And everyone who calls on the name of the

Lord will be saved” (v. 32). Psalm 87:4 makes it clear that means all nations, not just Israel: “I will

record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me—Philistia too, and Tyre, along

with Cush—and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’” We should also recall the words of Simeon

upon seeing the Christ child: “For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in

the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel”

(Luke 2:30-32). The fire of Pentecost would became the light of revelation to the Gentiles.

This is why it’s important that we read Luke and Acts together. We see the entire arc of the story that

begins with the birth of Jesus and moves purposely toward the birth of the church. God’s story is our

story. This arc is represented by the three great events in the life of the church: Christmas represents

3 Ronald Rolheiser, The Holy Longing: The Search for a Christian Spirituality. New York: Doubleday, 1999, p. 145.

4 Ibid, p. 146.

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God with us; Easter represents God for us; and Pentecost represents God in us. The problem comes

when we get stuck. We get stuck between Christmas and Easter when we like the idea of Jesus as our

friend who walks with us, but we don’t accept him as our Lord and Savior who died for us. Or we get

stuck between Easter and Pentecost when we accept Christ as our savior, but do not invite him into our

hearts and lives. This is exactly the problem that Jesus tried to point out to Nicodemus in the third

chapter of John. When Jesus told Nicodemus that he would have to be born again, Nicodemus got stuck

in the world of the flesh. Jesus responded: “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to the

spirit.” Jesus’ words echo John the Baptist when he said that Jesus came to baptize with the Holy Spirit.

Baptism is spiritual rebirth, our Pentecost. We need to make the complete journey from birth to death

to resurrection before we can be effective witnesses to the world of the transforming power of Jesus

Christ.


Acts 2:1-4

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the

blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They

saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them

were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”


1. How have you experienced the Holy Spirit in your life? As a gentle whisper like Elijah

experienced in 1 Kings 19:12? As the breath of life like God breathed into the dry bones in

Ezekiel 37:9-10? As the purifying fire that the angels touched to Isaiah’s lips in Isaiah 6:6-7? As

the strong wind and fire of Pentecost? What image best represents how you’ve experienced the

life-changing power of God?


Ronald Rolheiser offers this helpful way to chart the stages of the Paschal Mystery5:

1. Name your deaths

2. Claim your births

3. Grieve what you have lost and adjust to the new reality

4. Do not cling to the old, let it ascend and give you its blessing

5. Accept the spirit of the life that you are in fact living

In your journal, reflect on how you have experienced each of these stages at various points in your life.

Reflect on why this cycle is so important in our spiritual growth.

5 Ronald Rolheiser, The Holy Longing: The Search for a Christian Spirituality. New York: Doubleday, 1999, p. 148.

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Proclaiming Christ as Lord

Day 3

Acts 2:14-47

It’s hard not to be proud of Peter in this moment. We’ve watched him grow (spiritually) from a

fisherman who told Jesus he was not worthy to be in his presence (Luke 5:8), to a man so emboldened

by faith that he stepped out of a boat onto the waves (Matt. 14:29), to a frightened man who denied

Jesus three times (Luke 22:61), to the first evangelist of the early church. That’s quite a growth chart!

There was a reason that Jesus told Peter that he would be the rock of the church (Matt. 16:18); he

represented what all of us are capable of becoming through faith and the power of the Holy Spirit. Peter

was the new breed of priest who did not need a temple to proclaim the Word of God. He was the

everyman who spoke the common, everyday language of the people. The crowd who heard their

multilingual chorus of praise was amazed that it was coming from a group of hillbillies: “Aren’t all these

who are speaking Galileans?” (Acts 2:7). This should remind us of the reaction of Jesus’ hometown

crowd to his teaching in the synagogue: “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” (Luke 4:22). Clearly something

revolutionary was happening.

Peter may have been the mouthpiece of the group, but he did not stand up alone. He stood up with the

Eleven (Acts 2:14). This is a significant detail because these 12 represent the reconstituted Israel.

Community was just as important to them as it was to the Israelites in the desert. Peter first addressed

the mistaken impression that the believers speaking in tongues were intoxicated: “It’s only nine in the

morning!” I’m reminded of the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1 when she was praying so hard that Eli

thought she was drunk! Hannah responded, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been

drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord” (1 Sam. 1:15). The believers in Acts are not

deeply troubled, but they are experiencing an overpowering outpouring of the Holy Spirit. When we are

so filled with the Spirit that it overflows, people can’t help but notice.

Peter assigns Old Testament significance to their outpouring by quoting from Joel 2. As we discussed in

yesterday’s meditation, the prophecy in Joel was about the Spirit of God descending on all believers:

“your sons and daughters will prophesy” (Acts 2:17). This was God’s plan all along. We’ve seen this

before. In Numbers 11 God invested his Spirit in 70 elders to help Moses lead the unruly Israelites.

“When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied—but did not do so again” (Num.11:25). Prophesying

is the sign that a person has been given the precious gift of the Spirit of God. It is not something we can

do on our own. In Deuteronomy 18 God makes this clear: “But a prophet who presumes to speak in my

name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put

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to death” (Deut. 18:20). False prophecy was a big problem, especially in the early church. That’s why it

was important to have witnesses who could verify the authenticity of the message.

Another Old Testament example of genuine prophecy comes in 1 Samuel 10 when Saul was anointed

king of Israel. The narrator tells us that immediately following his anointing “God changed Saul’s heart”

(1 Sam. 10:9). The sign of this change came when he arrived in Gibeah and was met by a “procession of

prophets.” Then “the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he joined in their prophesying” (v.

10). Those who knew Saul were amazed: “What is this that happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also

among the prophets?” (v. 11). Like Peter, Saul was an imperfect man who was changed by the power of

the Holy Spirit. This change is just as powerful a witness as our words. If others do not see a change in

us, why should they believe that the gospel can change them?

Peter’s speech contains the central message of the gospel, the kerygma. We can outline his main points

this way:

1. Jesus performed “miracles, wonders, and signs” that they attributed to God.

2. Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection were part of God’s plan.

3. In Psalm 16, David prophesied the coming of one who would defeat death. He prophesied the

resurrection of the Messiah (his descendent).

4. The apostles are witnesses to the fact that Jesus is that Messiah.

5. Jesus was exalted (ascended) and sits at the right hand of God. As he promised, he has sent the

Holy Spirit to empower them to continue his mission.

It is interesting to note the similarities between the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and the beginning of the

church. Jesus began his ministry by being baptized by John the Baptist. The apostles began the church by

being baptized by Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ first public words following his baptism were:

message was: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matt. 4:17). Peter’s response to the

question “what shall we do?” is: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ

for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). We can

surmise, then, that the presence of the Holy Spirit is the sign of the kingdom of heaven. Through

baptism we all become citizens of God’s kingdom here on earth. And we know what citizenship requires

because we have four gospel accounts in which Jesus teaches and models it. All we need to do is say

“yes.”

Three thousand people said “yes” to Peter’s invitation that day. And like Saul, God changed their hearts.

We know this because: “They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to fellowship, to the

breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). They were no longer individuals; they became the body of

Christ. Notice that Luke tells us twice that they broke bread together (vv. 42, 46). This suggests both

worship through sharing Holy Communion (1 Corinthians 11:20-21) and table fellowship as we saw Jesus

do so often in Luke. They became the image of heaven that Jesus depicted in his parables and lived out

in his life. When we truly live out the gospel, people will be saved. That is the greatest miracle of all.

©Cindy Wheatley 14


Acts 2:38

“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.

And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”


1. Does the success of Peter’s first sermon surprise you? Why or why not? Do you think that level

of evangelism is still possible today?

2. Have you ever experienced the type of fellowship that Luke describes in vv. 42-47? If so,

describe what that was like. If not, what would it take to create that type of community of faith?

What lessons can the church today learn from the early church?


Imagine what it must have felt like to be part of that early community of believers. Write a narrative

from the perspective of someone who was part of that group. Describe what it felt like, what they did,

and how others reacted to their unity of purpose and spirit.

©Cindy Wheatley 15

In the Name of Jesus

Day 4

Acts 3:1-4:22

We read in 2:43 that “Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the

apostles.” In chapter three we see one of those many wonders and signs. We’ve seen the disciples

perform healing miracles before. When Jesus first sent out the 12, “he gave them power and authority

to drive out all demons and to cure diseases” (Luke 9:1). When he sent out the 72 he told them, “Heal

the sick who are there and tell them ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you’” (Luke 10:9). That’s

why Peter tells the amazed onlookers: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare

at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?” (Acts 3:12). He goes on to give

the glory to God for sending his son Jesus to empower them with his authority. “By faith in the name of

Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes

through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see” (Acts 3:16). In fact, they invoke Jesus’

name seven times in chapters 3 and 4!

I’m reminded of Exodus chapter 3 when Yahweh revealed his name to Moses: “This is what you are to

say to the Israelites: ‘I Am has sent me to you” (Exo. 3:14). Then he gave Moses the power to turn his

staff into a snake “so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers—the God of

Abraham, the God of Isaac and the god of Jacob—has appeared to you” (Exo. 4:5). This is the power of

the name of God and Peter used this to his advantage. Just as Moses had to first convince the Israelites

before he could convince Pharaoh, Peter had to convince the Jews of Jesus’ divine power. He told them,

“The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus” (Acts

3:13). That’s like the super-secret password that all Jews would acknowledge. The apostles were acting

under the authority of God Almighty.

Throughout this speech, Peter made many Old Testament connections, just as the gospel writers had

done. Grounding Jesus in the Old Testament was crucial for persuading this Jewish crowd. Peter did

some serious name-dropping: Moses, Samuel, and Abraham. He began by accusing the crowd of deicide,

“You killed the author of life” (Acts 3:15), then gave them the benefit of the doubt, “I know that you

acted in ignorance, as did your leaders” (v. 17), and finally offered them hope, “When God raised up his

servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways” (v. 26).

Their repentance was his true goal, not condemnation. “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins

may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

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Luke shows us the same pattern in Acts that we saw in the gospel. While the crowd was amazed and

moved by Peter’s speech (we’re told that the number of believers grew to “about five thousand” (Acts

4:4)), the authorities were not amused. Just as Jesus predicted, Peter and John were arrested and

brought before the Sanhedrin. The Jewish authorities must have had that “Here we go again” feeling as

they asked Peter and John the same question they asked Jesus: “By what power or what name did you

do this?” (Acts 4:7). Peter, “filled with the Holy Spirit,” spoke eloquently about the messiahship of Jesus

Christ: “there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Not only does Luke legitimize the church under the authority of Jesus Christ, but he also names (for the

first time) Christ as the author of salvation. Here we see the beginnings of what scholars call Christology

in the New Testament, a theology of who Christ was. We must remember that it had only been a few

months since Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, so this was all very fresh. The apostles were still

grounding themselves in the reality of the events that had taken place. I’m sure they were scouring the

Old Testament scriptures for guidance on what it all meant. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit

could Peter have articulated such a clear theology.

And the Sanhedrin knew that. Luke tells us that when they “realized that they were unschooled,

ordinary men, they were astonished” (Acts 4:13). By “unschooled” Luke means that they were not

priests who had been tutored by a rabbi. Again, we should be reminded of the people’s reaction to Jesus

when he began teaching in the synagogue: “The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught

them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law” (Mark 1:22). Who was this guy from

Nazareth who knew scripture better than the teachers of the law? Who were these two Galileans who

stood before the Sanhedrin and spoke so boldly and with a deep knowledge of scripture? Luke illustrates

the importance of acting boldly in faith and with a deep knowledge of scripture when we are

representing Jesus in the world. He also makes it clear that without the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter

and John could not have performed in such a bullet-proof fashion before the Sanhedrin. Remember

when Peter crumbled after being asked by a young girl if he knew Jesus?! As Jesus had reminded them,

“What is impossible with man is possible with God” (Luke 18:27).

This is a great lesson to us about the power of faith. We have been given great authority to act in the

name of Jesus Christ. Consider these promises:

“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matt. 18:20)

“And whoever welcomes a child in my name welcomes me.” (Matt. 18:5)

“Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the

Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.” (Mark 9:41)

“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

(John 14:13)

“You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” (John 14:14)

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“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear

fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”

(John 15:16)

These are powerful truths on which the Christian church is built. But do we act on them? Do we believe

that through Christ all things are possible? This may be the most difficult part of being a disciple—

trusting in God’s promises and then acting on them. We’ve seen Peter and John go boldly in the name of

Christ and do miraculous things, but so can we. We should remember what it says in Psalm 118:26:

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”


Acts 3:16

“By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and

the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.”


1. Think about a time when you acted boldly in faith. What prompted you to act? What was the

result?

2. Notice that Peter and John were together when Peter healed the lame man. In fact, the apostles

always traveled in pairs or groups. What does this tell us about how we are supposed to do

ministry? Why is it so important to be in community?


Is there something that you are feeling led to do but don’t think you are capable of accomplishing it?

Write out a prayer in which you boldly ask for it in the name of Jesus. Carry that prayer with you for a

week and journal about the experience of living into Christ’s promises.

©Cindy Wheatley 18

God is Sovereign

Day 5

Acts 4:23-5:11

There’s an old joke: “What kind of car did the disciples drive? A Honda. Because the Bible says they were

all in one accord!” (Groan) We’re only four chapters into Acts, but Luke has already devoted a significant

amount of space to the subject of unity and fellowship in the early community of believers. As we see

immediately following the incident with the Sanhedrin, they were not just unified during the good times,

but especially during times of crisis. When Peter and John were told by the highest Jewish authorities

that they may not evangelize, they came back to the group and they all prayed together. They appealed

to the sovereignty of God to overcome the evil that threatened them and to give them the power to

speak boldly despite the very real danger they faced. Luke tells us that “the place where they were

meeting was shaken” (Acts 4:31), indicating the presence of God. They also felt the presence of the

Spirit within them as they went out and “spoke the word of God boldly.” These were two of the signs

they prayed for to show God’s divine intervention and anointing (Acts 4:30).

“All the believers were one in heart and mind” (Acts 4:32). This seems too good to be true, especially

when we read about Ananias and Sapphira in chapter five. I read this as being an overflow of the double

filling of the Spirit they received. The fellowship of believers had no question about their purpose, which

was evangelism (“With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord

Jesus”) and taking care of each other (“And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there

were no needy persons among them”). Notice the focus on God’s grace; by themselves human beings

are naturally selfish, not altruistic. That’s why communism doesn’t work. What we see in the early

church is not communism—it’s the living out of God’s original vision for the Israelites. In Leviticus 25:35,

God commands them: “If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support

themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner or stranger, so they can continue to live

among you.” In Deuteronomy 15:4, Moses reminds them: “there need be no poor people among you,

for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, if

only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you

today.” The tricky part of this is following “all these commands.” If we are true followers of Christ and do

everything he instructed us to do, “one in heart and mind,” then we could be like the early church.

Unfortunately, this unity of purpose is rare today. We tend to focus more on personal faith rather than

corporate faith.

©Cindy Wheatley 19

Luke emphasizes that this sharing of all possessions was voluntary. “From time to time those who owned

land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostle’s feet, and it was

distributed to anyone who had need” (Acts 4:34-35, emphasis mine). Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:7,

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under

compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” This reminds me of the way the Israelites came together,

under the guidance of Moses and the Holy Spirit, to build the tabernacle in Exodus: “everyone who was

willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work of the tent

of meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments” (Exo. 35:21 emphasis mine). God wants us to

participate in the work of the church willingly and with a generous spirit, not under compulsion.

Luke provides us with two examples—one good and one bad—of this practice of communal sharing.

Barnabas, who becomes an important figure in Acts, is the good example; Ananias and Sapphira are the

bad example. They sold a piece of property, but they only brought a portion of the money to the

apostles. Peter made it clear that their sin was not withholding the money, but lying about it: “Ananias,

how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for

yourself some of the money you received for the land?” (Acts 5:3). He told him that he could have kept

all the money, as it was his to begin with. No one forced them to sell their land and give all the proceeds

to the church. They wanted the acclamation for being generous without the sacrifice.

What happened next is the source of considerable debate among scholars. Why did Ananias and

Sapphira drop dead? That’s so Old Testament! I’m reminded of the bizarre story in Numbers 16 of the

Levite rebellion under the direction of Korah. A group of 250 “well-known community leaders”

challenged the authority of Moses and Aaron (Num. 16:2-3). Their mistake, of course, was in thinking

that Moses and Aaron appointed themselves as prophet and priest. God punished the leaders of the

insurrection by opening up the earth and swallowing them, their families, and their tents, whole (v. 31-

33). The rest of the 250 were destroyed by fire (v. 35). It was a high-body-count day. But we have to

keep in mind that these were the leaders among the Israelites, who had been set apart by God to lead

his people. They were held to a higher standard. It was important that they died in a supernatural way

to show everyone that God was in charge, not Moses and Aaron.

The death of Ananias and Sapphira reminds us that God was still in charge in the early church. We saw

his presence revealed when the meeting room shook after the apostles’ prayer in chapter four.

Spontaneous death was associated with being exposed to the unmediated presence and power of God

on Mount Sinai and in the Holy of Holies. The fact that spontaneous death occurred outside the temple

suggests that God’s divine presence had, indeed, shifted. Some commentators believe that Peter was so

filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit that Ananias and Sapphira died from exposure! One clue Luke

gives us as to why they died is in Peter’s comment: “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the

Lord?” (Acts 5:9). Moses warned the Israelites in Deuteronomy 6:16: “Do not put the Lord your God to

the test,” a commandment that Jesus repeated to Satan in the desert (Matt. 4:7). These commandments

were still in force in the first century, as they are today. We don’t see a lot of people dropping dead in

church, but there are other consequences of greed and deception that threaten the fabric of our lives,

the church, and our world. God is still sovereign.

©Cindy Wheatley 20


Acts 4:32-33

“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their

own, but they shared everything they had.”


1. We can see the importance of prayer in the early church. Does your church practice corporate

prayer as it is modeled in Acts? During a time of crisis, do you turn to your community of faith?

Do you rely upon the sovereignty of God when you feel threatened?

2. Read Luke 12:33-34 and Luke 18:24. In light of Jesus’ comments about personal wealth, and the

picture we see of the early church, what is the appropriate attitude we should have toward

generosity? How can these passages help guide you in making good decisions about

stewardship?


Pick a topic of concern in today’s world (global warming, terrorism, economic inequality, etc.) and

compose a corporate prayer appealing to God’s wisdom and sovereignty. Assemble a group of faithful

Christians and recite the prayer together. Journal about your experience of “community” (communion +

unity).

©Cindy Wheatley 21

The Power of God

Day 6

Acts 5:12-42

After the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira, Luke tells us that: “Great fear seized the whole church and all

who heard about these events” (Acts 5:11). A demonstration of God’s power has always inspired fear in

humans, as we’ve seen many times in the Old Testament. But that’s what sets the church apart from a

social club—the awesome power and spirit of God. It does keep some people away (“No one else dared

join them” (v. 13)), but it also attracts many people (“more and more men and women believed in the

Lord and were added to their number” (v. 14)). The apostles carried on Jesus’ healing ministry, but they

also boldly proclaimed the gospel, never mincing words or sugar-coating the truth to gain converts.

Not surprisingly, they attracted the attention and anger of the Sanhedrin, who had forbid them from

evangelizing. They were, after all, teaching, preaching, and healing in and around the temple—the

Sanhedrin’s own backyard! While the people were frightened by the power of God, the Jewish

authorities were afraid of the power of the people, so they kept it low key as they arrested the apostles

and put them in jail. For the fourth time in five chapters, we see an act of divine intervention when an

angel opens the doors of the jail. “Go, stand in the temple courts…and tell the people all about this new

life” (Acts 5: 20). The reference to “new life” suggests a parallel with the empty tomb and Jesus’

resurrection. This parallel becomes even more striking when we read about the officers arriving at the

jail to find it empty: “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when

we opened them, we found no one inside” (Acts 5:23). When it was discovered that the apostles were

back in the streets evangelizing, they were brought in again without the use of force. Clearly, this

movement can’t be stopped through human means.

In Mark 12:24, Jesus told the Jewish authorities: “Are you not in error because you do not know the

Scriptures or the power of God?” I’m reminded of this statement in Peter’s response to the Sanhedrin

about the authority of the church: “We must obey God rather than human beings!” (Acts 5:29). As Peter

once again recites the kerygma, the truth of his words has the same effect on them that Jesus’ words

had: “they were furious and wanted to put him to death” (v. 33). Fortunately, Gamaliel, a respected

member of the Sanhedrin, did recognize the power of God in these events. He argued that if this were a

human activity it would fail. But if it were from God, nothing could stop it. We can only assume that his

words were prompted by divine revelation. Throughout the history of Israel, God used their opponents

for his own purposes. I’m reminded of the prophecies of Balaam in Numbers 22-24 and proclamation of

King Cyrus of Persia (Ezra 1:1-2). These two examples demonstrate that the God of Israel is the God of

the universe who can use anyone for his purposes. Peter refers to him as “the God of our ancestors” to

©Cindy Wheatley 22

remind everyone that the God who performed amazing “signs and wonders” throughout Israel’s history

was the same God who was active in their world. How could they worship the God of Israel and yet not

recognize his handiwork right in front of them? Peter made the same argument about Jesus: “The God

of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross” (Acts 5:30).

They did not understand the scriptures or the power of God.

I have a quotation taped to my computer monitor: “Attempt something so big that unless God

intervenes it’s bound to fail!” I have to look at this every day to remind myself that I serve the God of

the universe. I love this little prayer from Blaise Pascal: “Lord, help me to do great things as though

they were little, since I do them with your power; and little things as though they were great, since I do

them in your name.” John Ortberg describes the life-changing impact of the knowledge that he serves a

big God: “I was ready to confront with resolve and firmness. I was filled with boldness and confidence. I

was released from anxiety and fear. I was ready to serve someone who needed help.”6 Doesn’t that

sound like the church in Acts 5? He reminds us that to “fear God” “involves reverence and awe, a

healthy recognition of who God is.”7 The fear that seized the whole church after the death of Ananias

and Sepphira was this type of fear—a recognition of the awesome power of God. Like the fear that the

disciples experienced when Jesus calmed the storm (Mark 4:40-41). The fear of dying they felt before he

rebuked the waves was replaced by a reverent fear afterwards. I think we are like the Pharisees and

Sadducees when we do not know the scriptures or the power of God. When we do not comprehend the

mighty power of God, then we think that everything depends on us. If we truly believe that we serve a

God who created the world and is bigger than anything in it, then anything is possible. We need only

remember the words of Gamaliel: “For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is

from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God”

(Acts 5:39).


Acts 5:42

“Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and

proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.”


1. We are the beneficiaries of the apostles’ unceasing determination to spread the gospel of Jesus

Christ. Imagine if they had evangelized like we do today! I doubt the church would have survived

very long. They understood that they were part of God’s unstoppable plan. How would your life

be different if you lived with this awareness every day? How can you cultivate a true reverence

for the power of God?

6 John Ortberg, If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001,

p. 194. 7 Ibid, p. 200.

©Cindy Wheatley 23


Begin every day this week with Pascal’s prayer: “Lord, help me to do great things as though they were

little, since I do them with your power; and little things as though they were great, since I do them in

your name.” Pay attention to the way this prayer impacts your thoughts and behaviors.

©Cindy Wheatley 24

The Sacred Trust

Day 7

Acts 6:1-7

Luke packs a lot of meaning into seven short verses! He makes a dramatic shift from the supernatural

events in chapter 5 to the practical concerns in chapter 6. He describes a problem that arose due to the

multicultural nature of the early church. Remember, we’re still in Jerusalem so these are all Jews, but

some are “Hebraic Jews” and some are “Hellenistic Jews.” While there is some debate about what these

labels mean, most scholars believe that Hebraic Jews were from Palestine originally while Hellenistic

Jews were part of the diaspora who returned to Jerusalem after living elsewhere. That means that they

not only spoke a different language (Aramaic or Greek), but were also used to different customs. In this

particular case the custom was caring for widows. The Hellenistic Jews were complaining that their

widows were being “overlooked” in the distribution of food by the Hebraic Jews. The implication is that

this was not a mere oversight, but rather favoritism. If we tend to idealize the early church, we only

need to look to this passage to remind ourselves that even in the beginning, when “all the believers

were one in heart and mind,” there was conflict because they were, well, human.

The apostles’ solution is not only elegant, but also scriptural. We should recall the early days of the

exodus when Moses was trying to adjudicate all the Israelites’ petty squabbles and disputes by himself.

His father-in-law, Jethro, reminded Moses that his primary duty was to be the people’s representative to

God and vice versa. He was to be their teacher, not their ombudsman. “But select capable men from all

the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as

officials” (Exo. 18:21). Again in Numbers 11, God told Moses to bring 70 elders to the Tent of Meeting so

that God could give them his Spirit to “share the burden of the people with you so that you will not have

to carry it alone” (Num. 11:17). The number 7 has biblical significance. Consider that God appointed 70

elders and Jesus sent out 72 disciples. Clearly, leadership should be a shared responsibility.

They also modeled collaborative decision making. The apostles understood that their first responsibility

was “the ministry of the word of God” (v. 2), so they had to trust others to take care of the more

practical aspects of the church. Notice they did not dismiss the complaints of the Hellenistic Jews as

irrelevant. Taking care of widows and orphans is a biblical imperative. Psalm 68:5 refers to God as: “A

father to the fatherless, a defender of widows.” James put it this way: “Religion that God our Father

accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep

oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27). It doesn’t get any more clear than that! So the

©Cindy Wheatley 25

issue was not whether taking care of the physical needs of their community was an important mission of

the church; the question was who should be in charge of ensuring it was being done well.

Wisely, the apostles put it back on the group itself to identify seven men “who are known to be full of

the Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3). This is the beginning of the office of deacon in the church, a position

that is often dedicated to charitable service. Paul describes the character of a deacon in 1 Timothy 3:8-

10 this way: “In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine,

and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear

conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as

deacons.” All the names of the seven men chosen are Greek names, so we can assume that the group

nominated Hellenistic Jews to give fair representation. They were presented to the apostles for

commissioning with laying on of hands. Paul tells Timothy to “fan into flame the gift of God, which is

within you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Tim. 1:6). This sort of spiritual commissioning occurs

only a couple times in the Old Testament. Once is in Numbers 8:10-11 when the Israelites laid hands on

the Levites to commission them to “do the work of the Lord.” The other is when Moses laid hands on

Joshua to commission him to take over leadership of the Israelites (Numbers 27:18-23). Given those two

precedents, this commissioning seems rather important!

We’re told that “the word of God spread” and “the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly”

(Acts 6:7). Luke suggests that this new leadership structure allowed the church to expand more rapidly.

He also suggests that God blessed this new arrangement. Any good leader will tell you that delegation is

a good management technique. But this is about more than efficiency. Leadership is a sacred trust,

especially in the church. That’s why the character of the men chosen was so important. They are leading

God’s flock. Before he ascended, Jesus told Peter “Take care of my sheep” (John 21:16). Jesus passed on

the mantle of sacred leadership to Peter, who in turn passed it along to these seven men. It is important

that we understand that the pastor cannot carry the full weight of responsibility in the church—that

he/she needs help. But it’s also important that we understand the responsibility of sacred leadership.

Even lay leaders are held to a higher standard. Every position in the church is important, but those who

lead others should view their positions as a sacred trust that has been handed down through the

centuries.


Acts 6:2

“So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the

ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from

among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to

them and will give our attention to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

©Cindy Wheatley 26


1. Have you ever held a leadership position within the church? Were you formally commissioned

for that position? Reflect on the importance of commissioning both clergy and lay leaders to do

“the work of the Lord.”

2. This passage in Acts reminds us of how important every role in the church is. What role do you

play? What is God calling you to do for his flock?


Think about all the leaders in your church. Take the time to write a note of thanks to each one for their

service and sacrifice.

©Cindy Wheatley 27

A Man Full of God’s Grace and Power

Day 8

Acts 6:8-7:60

This section of chapter six represents a shift in Acts from a focus on the Jewish Christians to a focus on

the Hellenistic Christians, as we saw in the first seven verses. Luke introduces Stephen and Philip in

verse 5, both of whom will play a significant role in the next few chapters. Luke also introduces another

important figure in the spread of Christianity outside of Palestine: Saul of Tarsus.

The stoning of Stephen is a dramatic and fateful event in the history of the church. Many scholars

consider it to be the critical turning point in the spread of the church to the Gentile territories.

Sometimes it’s difficult to take the long view of events when the short view is so tragic. Luke describes

Stephen as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5), and as “a man full of God’s grace and

power” (v.8). We’ve seen Peter, who was also filled with the Holy Spirit, survive being jailed, threatened,

and flogged to continue to boldly proclaim the good news. So why doesn’t the Holy Spirit protect

Stephen? Persecution continues to be a prevalent theme in Acts as it was in the gospels. They show us

that God does not abandon us in our suffering. In fact, he suffered first—he went before and knows

what we are going through. He sends the Holy Spirit to give us courage and strength during difficult

times, especially when we suffer in his name.

Opposition to Stephen’s preaching arose from within the Hellenistic Jews, “Jews of Cyrene and

Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia” (Acts 6:9). They began a rumor that Stephen was

blaspheming, so he was seized and brought before the Sanhedrin. Sound familiar? The parallel between

Stephen’s persecution and the persecution of Jesus is unmistakable. Both had false claims made about

them; both were brought before the Sanhedrin for “trial;” both were killed for the charge of blasphemy;

both are taken outside of the city to be killed; and both asked God to forgive their executioners. The

apostles did not avoid suffering; in fact, after they were flogged they were “rejoicing because they had

been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name” (Acts 5:41). These were the same men who

abandoned Jesus when he was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane! After the resurrection and

Pentecost, they understood the whole plan. Paul explains in Romans: “And we boast in the hope of the

glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces

perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to share,

because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to

us” (Romans 5:2-5). The is the theology of suffering that comforted and strengthened the early

Christians as they faced horrific persecution, and that still comforts us today.

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So what was Stephen accused of? We’ve heard some pretty fiery rhetoric from Peter, yet the Sanhedrin

decided to let him go. One difference that we notice between Peter’s speech and Stephen’s is that Peter

sticks closely to the kerygma about Jesus. Stephen, however, reaches back into Israelite history and

challenges some of the fundamental concepts of the Jewish faith, such as the sacredness of the land and

the temple. He invokes the sacred names of Abraham and Moses. The Jews were afraid that Stephen

was inciting the crowd to “destroy [the temple] and change the customs Moses handed down to us”

(Acts 6:14). They were irked by Peter’s constant focus on the resurrection of Jesus, but they were

appalled by Stephen’s revolutionary rhetoric.

When Stephen was brought before the Sanhedrin to answer to these charges, he certainly didn’t

equivocate on his position. In fact, he delivered the longest speech in Acts. Unlike Jesus’ silence during

his trial, Stephen saw this as a platform to make his case. Here are the main points of his argument.

God appeared before Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia (implying that God does not

only work inside the borders of Palestine)

God made his sacred covenant with Abraham, who inherited no land during his lifetime but

would spawn a nation

God spoke to Joseph in Egypt and gave him wisdom. He saved his family, who all died in Egypt.

The Hebrews became oppressed in Egypt, but God raised up Moses who “was educated in all

the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action” (Acts 7:22).

God appeared to Moses in a burning bush and told him it was holy ground. He sent him to

rescue his people from Egypt.

The Hebrews rejected Moses, even though he had been sent by God to deliver them. Moses

proved that he was sent by God when he led them out of Egypt and “performed wonders and

signs” (Acts 7:36).

This same Moses told the Israelites “God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own

people” (Acts 7:37).

But the Israelites rejected Moses’ God-inspired words and worshipped idols.

The Israelites dwelled with the tabernacle, which moved with them, until Solomon built the

temple. “However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands” (Acts 7:48).

The Jews are still “stiff-necked people” who reject their prophets and killed the “Righteous

One.” Their “hearts and ears are still uncircumcised” because they have disobeyed the law that

was given to them.

We see two strong themes in this argument: 1) Jews have always rejected those whom God has sent to

save them; and 2) God is present everywhere, not just in Palestine and not just in the temple. Stephen

did not argue for the destruction of the temple, but he did imply its irrelevance for the spreading of

God’s kingdom. He did not argue for abolishing the law, but rather that Jews weren’t following the law

as it had been given to them.

Stephen didn’t say anything that Jesus had not already said in one form or another. Divine approval of

his words was demonstrated in a most dramatic way. “Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to

heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55). Scholars

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point out the significance of this vision in light of Luke 12:8: “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges

me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God.” The fact that Jesus

was standing at the right hand of God rather than sitting suggests that he was standing as a witness to

the truth of Stephen’s words. Stephen said, “Look…I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at

the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56). This is the only time that the phrase “Son of Man” appears in the

New Testament outside of the gospels. It reminds us of Jesus’ words to the Sanhedrin during his own

trial. When they asked him point-blank: “If you are the Messiah…tell us,” Jesus responded: “If I tell you,

you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will

be seated at the right hand of the mighty God” (Luke 22:67-69). These same men heard Stephen confirm

Jesus’ prophecy. How could they not give Stephen the same sentence that they gave Jesus?

There are many similarities, as I’ve already pointed out, between Stephen’s death and Jesus’. Stephen’s

last words: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” and “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” are almost

verbatim from the transcript of the crucifixion. Like Jesus, Stephen did not speak against the Jews out of

hatred for them, but rather out of love. He was preaching the new covenant, a covenant of forgiveness

and salvation for all, but they were not ready to hear it. It was time to take the gospel outside of

Palestine, to people who would be more receptive to its message. Luke cleverly inserts this little detail:

“Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul” (Acts 7:58). It was, in

fact, the stoning of Stephen that led to the scattering of Christians throughout Judea and Samaria (Acts

8:1) and the rise of Saul as the chief persecutor of Christians (Acts 8:3). God uses even tragedies like the

martyrdom of Stephen for his good purposes.

I am reminded of Joseph’s prophetic words to his brothers in Genesis 50:20: “You intended to harm me,

but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” I am also

reminded of Paul’s words in Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of

those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” As we see from Stephen’s story,

“for the good of those who love him” does not always mean that circumstances work out in our favor,

but they do work out according to God’s purpose. If we have faith in God’s plan then we, too, can rejoice

in our suffering when it is for his kingdom purposes. Stephen’s story also makes clear to us that God

never makes us suffer alone. Stephen was filled with God’s grace and power; Paul tells us: “In the same

way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness….And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit,

because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” (Rom. 8:26-27). We,

too, are filled with God’s grace and power at precisely the moment when we need it the most. Praise

God!


Acts 6:15

“All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the

face of an angel.”

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1. This is an interesting passage from the story of Stephen. When we read “like the face of an

angel” we automatically imagine someone with a sweet, placid countenance. But angels in the

Bible are also those sent to impose God’s wrath or deliver a difficult message. I wonder if they

also saw on Stephen’s face the confidence of one who is resolute in his conviction. Picture Jesus

standing before the Sanhedrin with quiet resolve. Have you ever experienced that type of

resolve in facing an unpleasant situation? Where do you think that kind of conviction comes

from?

2. The history of the church is full of stories of martyrs like Stephen who gave their lives in the

service of the gospel. We aren’t all called to be martyrs, but we are called to sacrifice something

in the name of Jesus. What is your sacrifice? What have you, or would you, give up in the service

of your Lord?


Make a list of difficult circumstances you’ve experienced that led to something positive. What were the

blessings that came in, or from, your most trying times? Where was God in your suffering? Read Romans

8:26-39 and offer a prayer of thanks that “neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be

able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

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A Divine Appointment

Day 9

Acts 8:1-40

The persecution of Stephen led to the wholesale persecution of the church in Jerusalem, as Luke

explains in 8:1-3. That persecution led to two significant events: the scattering of “all except the

apostles” throughout Judea and Samaria, and the tyranny of Saul over the Christians. It’s not clear why

the apostles did not leave Jerusalem, but the dispersion of disciples allowed a new generation of

evangelists to shine. One of the most effective of these was Philip. In this chapter we see how Philip’s

evangelism led to the conversion of Samaria and Ethiopia, fulfilling Jesus’ commandment to “be my

witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Philip traveled to Samaria, the sworn enemy of Israel. The Samaritans were Jews of the northern

kingdom who had intermarried with foreigners. They were considered to be apostates, the lost sheep of

Israel, and unclean. Luke gave Samaritans a prominent place in his gospel account, in the story of the

Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) and the 10 lepers who were healed (Luke 17:11-19), perhaps knowing

the significance of their conversion for God’s master plan. In chapter 8 we see that plan come to

fruition.

If we ever doubt what one person can do to change the world, we need only think of Philip. Philip’s

evangelistic courage is on display in this chapter as he preaches the gospel in Samaria and to a high-

ranking official of Ethiopia. First he goes to Samaria and performs “signs,” which we assume are

healings and driving out demons. He proclaimed “the good news of the kingdom of God and the name

of Jesus Christ”—the kerygma—and multitudes of Samaritans were baptized (v. 12). Word of Philip’s

success got back to the apostles, who sent Peter and John to Samaria. They sealed the deal by praying

for the power of the Holy Spirit to come upon the Samaritan believers. Some commentators call this the

Samaritan Pentecost, the first mass conversion and baptism outside of Jerusalem. This was a huge

accomplishment for the early church, and it started with one man’s boldness.

A sorcerer named Simon was among those who were baptized by Philip. It’s not clear what Simon’s gig

was, but he displays some strong professional jealousy for Philip’s ability to work miracles and Peter and

John’s ability to call upon the Holy Spirit through laying on of hands. Even though he is said to be a

believer, Simon reveals that his motives are impure. Our first clue is that he “boasted that he was

someone great” (Acts 8:9). Real men of God are humble and give God all the glory. The second clue

comes when he tries to purchase the apostle’s ability! This seems absurd, but the practice of paying to

receive sacraments or ordination to a holy office became known as “simony” after Simon Magus in Acts.

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This was a major problem in the history of the church when Kings and Emperors appointed bishops, and

led to the separation of church and state in medieval Europe. Perhaps this was a major problem in the

early church as well, which is why Luke included the story of Simon the charlatan. In fact, the problem

had existed in ancient Israel as well. There were prophets-for-hire who would tell the king whatever he

wanted to hear in exchange for a comfortable lifestyle. For example, in 1 Kings 22:6 we learn that King

Ahab had 400 prophets, all of whom prophesied in his favor! The church must always be vigilant in

appointing its leaders and assessing their call to ministry. There are still charlatans among us today who

grow large churches to feed their own ego and opulent lifestyle.

After converting the Samaritans, Philip was called by an angel of the Lord to go south of Jerusalem.

We’ve seen many significant journeys in the Bible that began with a vague divine call to “go.” Philip

obeyed, and on a nondescript desert road he met an Ethiopian eunuch who was a high-ranking official of

the Queen. The eunuch was a Jewish proselyte who had been in Jerusalem to worship at the temple and

was now reading from Isaiah during this travels home. Philip boldly ran up to the chariot and asked: “Do

you understand what you are reading?” A good Jew, the eunuch replied, “How can I…unless someone

explains it to me?” (Acts 8:30-31). That was the invitation Philip needed to explain the link between the

Suffering Servant in Isaiah and Jesus. Philip’s explanation of the scriptures in light of Jesus’ suffering,

death, and resurrection is similar to the way Jesus explained himself to the disciples on the road to

Emmaus in Luke 24. At the end of that journey they broke bread together, the disciples’ eyes were

opened, and Jesus disappeared. At the end of Philip’s evangelizing, the eunuch asked to be baptized and

then Philip disappeared. Luke leaves no doubt that Philip’s encounter with the eunuch was a divine

appointment.

Philip was sent to convert an entire region and to convert one person (who could then return to his

country and convert his own people). Both are equally important in the eyes of God. Chapter eight is the

last we hear of Philip in Acts, except for a brief reference in 21:8-9. He stands as a great model of

evangelism. He took every opportunity to share the good news wherever he went, and we should do the

same. Every encounter we have could be a divine appointment.


Acts 8:5-8

“Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip

and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure

spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in

that city.”


1. Imagine how scary it must have been for Philip to go to a strange place alone and preach the

gospel to strangers. We’re much more comfortable in our own churches than going out to reach

people where they are. What lessons can we learn from Philip’s example?

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2. Can you think of a time when you have experienced a divine appointment with someone? Either

they were sent for you or you were sent for them, with just the right words for the situation?

Think about how God uses us in all circumstances if we are obedient to his promptings.


What do you think happened to the Ethiopian eunuch after his encounter with Philip? Write a first-

person narrative of his conversion and what he did after Philip disappeared before his eyes.

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The Worst of Sinners

Day 10

Acts 9:1-31

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that

he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.

Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a

violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance

and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me

abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Jesus

Christ. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full

acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—

of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown

mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might

display his immense patience as an example for those who

would believe in him and receive eternal life. (1 Timothy 1:12-

16)

Here in chapter nine the story of the church takes a most unexpected, and some would say improbable,

turn. Saul the persecutor becomes Paul the convert in, literally, a flash. When we compare the beginning

of chapter nine with this passage from 1 Timothy, we can see the stark contrast. Saul was a strict

Pharisee who studied under Gamaliel (Acts 22:3), the honored teacher of the law we saw in Acts 5. To

hear him describe his pre-conversion self as “a blasphemer” would have certainly been shocking to a

Jewish audience. So would his comments that he “acted in ignorance and unbelief” and that he was “the

worst of sinners.” Saul was a “persecutor and a violent man,” but he was taking severe measures to

protect his religious beliefs and traditions from what he considered to be a dangerous threat. Saul would

have characterized his persecution of the Christians as righteous indignation, not violence. So what

happened?

To answer this question, we must revisit Jesus’ accusations to the Pharisees in the gospels. In Matthew

12:30-32 Jesus said: “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me

scatters. And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit

will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone

who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” When

he was in the temple, Jesus quoted Psalm 118, “The stone the builders rejected has become the

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cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes,” and then warned the Pharisees:

“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who

will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls

will be crushed” (Matt. 21:43). Peter also quoted this verse from Psalm 118 when he was brought before

the Sanhedrin in Acts 4:11. Saul found out what it meant to be “broken to pieces” on the cornerstone!

Every child who has ever sat in Sunday School knows the story of Saul’s conversion on the road to

Damascus. It has even become its own category of conversion: “He had a road to Damascus experience.”

But I would venture to say that Saul’s experience was unique in Christianity. It has all the markings of a

theophany, a divine visitation. It happened suddenly and unexpectedly: “suddenly a light from heaven

flashed around him” (v. 3). He heard the voice of Jesus: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (v. 4).

We should be reminded of Moses’ encounter with the burning bush in Exodus 3 when God called:

“Moses! Moses!” (Exo. 3:4). Saul recognized it as the voice of God: “Who are you, Lord?” Like Moses,

Saul asked for his divine name. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” was the unexpected reply (v. 5).

Then he was given a mission to go into Damascus, just as Moses was given a mission to return to Egypt.

Simultaneously, the Lord came to Ananias in a vision and told him to go find Saul (Acts 9:10-11), just as

he visited Aaron and told him to go meet his brother Moses in the wilderness (Exo. 4:27). Even the fact

that Saul was smuggled out of Damascus in a basket (Acts 9:25) suggests the parallel with the story of

Moses! Saul was being called to lead the Gentiles to the Promised Land. Just as Moses was from Egypt

and knew its ways, Paul was from Tarsus and knew the ways of the Greek-speaking world. His last words

in the book of Acts, spoken before the Jewish leaders in Rome, were: “Therefore I want you to know

that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!” (Acts 28:28). He acknowledged

that he was called by Jesus specifically to be a missionary among the Gentiles: “But when God, who set

me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so

that I might preach him among the Gentiles” (Galatians 1:15-16). Again like Moses, Saul was set apart

from birth to play a unique role in God’s story.

But Saul did not work alone. He was blind for three days after his conversion, so God called Ananias to

lay hands on him and fill him with the Holy Spirit. “Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s

eyes, and he could see again” (Acts 9:18). It’s like Saul had his own version of Jesus’ resurrection and the

apostles’ Pentecost all at once! There is some discrepancy between Luke’s version and Paul’s version of

what happened next. Luke says that Saul spent “several days with the disciples in Damascus” and then

began preaching “at once.” Paul said that he spent that time alone: “my immediate response was not to

consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but

I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus” (Galatians 1:16-17). Paul’s point in this passage from

Galatians was that his revelation was a divine event, and not one suggested to him by the apostles or

any other human being. In fact, he lists his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus as the last of

the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:8). The three years he spent in Arabia

could be viewed like Jesus’ time alone in the wilderness after his baptism in preparation for beginning

his ministry. Certainly it takes time to make such a dramatic shift in one’s life, and preparation is an

important part of ministry. But Luke chooses to focus on the time Paul spent with the apostles,

becoming a trusted part of the community.

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It’s easy to imagine why the disciples in Jerusalem would be afraid of Saul. Their strongest opponent

suddenly shows up on their doorstep claiming to be one of them? We know from 1 Corinthians 15 that

Paul’s arrival in Jerusalem was three years after his conversion and he had been away during that time,

so it’s understandable why they would be skeptical. We saw an example of false conversion in Simon the

Samaritan sorcerer in Acts 8, so they had encountered this before. But Barnabas took a risk and became

Saul’s advocate, vouching for the legitimacy of his conversion. Barnabas reminds me of Jonathan in 1

Samuel who befriended David and defended him to his father, Saul. Jonathan and David became lifelong

friends, as did Paul and Barnabas. We need good Christian friends whom we can trust. Not everyone is

called to be star in God’s story; some of us are called to be supporting actors.

There is much for us to learn from the story of Saul’s conversion. These lessons come to mind:

No one is beyond God’s grace, mercy, and redemption—even “the worst of sinners.”

God uses everyone in his redemptive plan, so who are we to judge who is worthy and who isn’t?

Everyone’s conversion story is unique. Christ speaks to each of us in our own way and time. Like

Saul and Moses, we just need to recognize his voice.

Conversion isn’t real unless our lives are fundamentally changed. Saul even got a new name to

signify that he had become a new person: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation

has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor. 5:17).

The journey of faith is not meant to be traveled alone; we need other Christians to nurture,

encourage, and challenge us.

Conversion is both a personal and a communal experience. It signifies our rebirth in the Holy Spirit (John

3:6-8) and our entry into the Body of Christ. It also involves the bestowing of spiritual gifts that God

intends to use to further his kingdom. Saul’s gift was preaching the gospel to the Gentiles—and no one

was more surprised than Saul! That’s not what he had prepared for, or the way he imagined spending

his life. But God took Saul’s passion and redirected it for his own purposes. Once we say “yes” to Christ,

our life is no longer our own; we discover a new life, a new spirit, and a new purpose.


Acts 9:18-19

“Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was

baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.”


1. When the scales fell from Saul’s eyes and he could see again, I would imagine that he saw things

very differently. In your faith journey, can you recall a time when the scales fell from your eyes

and you saw things from God’s perspective? What was that experience like?

2. Describe your own conversion experience. Was it sudden like Saul’s or more gradual? How has

your life been different since then?

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Imagine what it must have been like for Saul to undergo such a dramatic conversion experience. Write a

first-person account from the moment he saw the flash of light to the moment when the scales fell from

his eyes. What were those three days like for Saul? What was going through his mind? Have you ever

experienced a period of waiting like that? Why are waiting and preparation such an important part of

life-changing events?

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The Transformation of Peter

Day 11

Acts 9:32-10:23

The stories of healing that Luke includes in chapter nine are likely placed there more for geographical

reasons than for theological ones. We’ve already seen that Peter and the other apostles had the power

to heal. But these two stories take place in Joppa and Lydda, which were located on the Mediterranean

coast and about thirty miles south of Caesarea, where Cornelius lived. So the stories of Aeneas and

Tabitha/Dorcas serve as a hinge between Peter’s ministry in Jerusalem and the conversion of Cornelius

and his household.

The healing of Aeneas is reminiscent of the healing stories in the gospel. Peter finds the paralyzed man

and commanded him in the name of Jesus to “Get up and roll up your mat” (Acts 9:34). Notice that

when Peter healed the lame man in 3:7, “he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles

became strong.” Jesus never helped anyone up; he always commanded them to stand or walk. However,

the method Jesus used to heal each person was unique to that person, so perhaps that’s what Peter

learned from his master. The act of helping up the lame man may have been part of the healing process,

where that wasn’t necessary with Aeneas. Luke reports that “All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon

saw him and turned to the Lord” (v. 35). That’s quite a harvest of souls! I’m reminded of the Parable of

the Sower when Jesus said, “Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred

times more than was sown” (Luke 8:8). In his travels, Peter was spreading the seed of the gospel

generously and here we can see the impact of just one seed.

The healing of Tabitha/Dorcas is much more dramatic, and should remind us of the healing of Jairus’

daughter (Mark 5:37-43, Luke 8:51-56). Mark tells us that Jesus allowed only Peter to be with him when

he brought the girl to life (Mark 5:37), so Peter had first-hand knowledge of what Jesus did and said

(remember that Mark relied heavily on Peter’s witness in writing his gospel). Like Jesus, Peter sent them

all out of the room. Since Jesus was not there in person, Peter prayed to him. He then said “Tabitha, get

up,” which in Aramaic would have sounded very much like Jesus’ words to Jairus’ daughter: “Talitha

Koum!” (“Little girl, get up”) (Mark 5:41). Jesus took the little girl by the hand, just as Peter took Tabitha

by the hand (Acts 9:41). Luke leaves no doubt that Peter’s ability to raise Tabitha from the dead came

from Jesus himself. The biggest difference in these two miracles is that Jesus “gave strict orders not to

let anyone know about this” (Mark 5:43), whereas Peter “called for the believers, especially the widows,

and presented her to them alive” (Acts 9:41). Just as in Lydda, this miraculous healing led to mass

conversions in Joppa. Perhaps it was this success that caused Peter to stay in Joppa “for some time,”

setting up his meeting with Cornelius in Caesarea.

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We know this meeting was divinely appointed because it starts with a double vision, much like Saul’s

conversion. It begins when an angel of God visited Cornelius, a Roman centurion who was “devout and

God-fearing” (Acts 10:2). Scholars are divided on exactly what this phrase means—was he a Jewish

convert or merely an unbaptized sympathizer? Today we might describe Cornelius as “spiritual but not

religious.” There is no question that he was a good man who already demonstrated a life of devotion

and service. While he was at prayer, the angel told him that his good works had not gone unnoticed by

God, so he had a divine task for him to do: send his men to Joppa to find Peter and bring him back. I

suppose that Cornelius himself could have traveled to Joppa to find Peter, but again, geography was

important. This was Peter’s journey, not Cornelius’.

The following day Peter was also at prayer. He fell into a trance and had a vision of a large sheet coming

down out of heaven containing “all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds” (Acts

10:12). Then a divine voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat” (v. 13). This must have sounded like the

voice of the serpent, tempting him to eat the forbidden fruit. Peter responds, “Surely not, Lord!...I have

never eaten anything impure or unclean” (v. 14). We’ve heard this righteous indignation in Peter’s voice

before. Right after Peter declared that Jesus was the Messiah, he rebuked Jesus for telling them that he

must suffer and die so that he could be resurrected (Mark 8:32). Jesus’ response to Peter’s lecture was,

“Get behind me, Satan!...You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns” (v.

33). Similarly, God rebukes Peter right back: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean”

(Acts 10:15). Luke tells us, “This happened three times,” suggesting that Peter was a tough sell. When

anything happens three times in the Bible, it’s significant.

“While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out

where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate” (Acts 10:17). I imagine that Peter was doing more

than “wondering” about what had just happened; he was experiencing some significant cognitive

dissonance. How was a devout Jew to respond to this revelation about something that was central to his

religious beliefs? Peter was in such inner turmoil and deep thought that the Holy Spirit had to interrupt

him to tell him to answer the door (v. 19-20). Immediately following this disturbing revelation, Peter

found Gentiles standing at his door. “Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests” (v. 23).

This seemingly insignificant sentence signals a huge shift in thinking for Peter. No good Jew would invite

Gentiles into his home, much less as his house guests. I’m sure God’s words were still ringing in his head:

“Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This applied to people as well as animals. The

invisible boundary between Jew and Gentile had been erased.

God had called Saul to be the apostle to the Gentiles and now God was tearing down the wall between

them. This shift in thinking led Paul to write to the church in Galatia: “So in Christ Jesus you are all

children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with

Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male or female, for you are

all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the

promise” (Gal. 3:26-29). Those of us reading these words are the beneficiaries of Peter’s vision and

Paul’s calling. Those of us who are American Christians should be doubly grateful, for this truth of the

Bible led another group of men to declare: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are

created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these

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are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”8 This was the last piece of the puzzle that revealed to

Peter God’s ultimate plan for humanity. What happened next was nothing short of a miracle.


Acts 10:13-15

“Then a voice told him, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’ ‘Surely not, Lord!’ Peter replied. ‘I have never eaten

anything impure or unclean.’ The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that

God has made clean.’”


1. The division between Jews and Gentiles within the church was erased long ago, but are there

other groups of people that we consider “unclean”? What can we learn from Peter’s vision

about who is acceptable in the eyes of God?

2. Have you ever experienced this type of life-changing revelation that required you to

fundamentally change your beliefs? What does that kind of shift in perspective require? Is there

still a transformation that God needs you to make?


Imagine that you fell into a trance and had a vision like Peter’s. What do you think God would reveal to

you about how the church today treats people? Write a modern version of this scene.

8 Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.

©Cindy Wheatley 41

The Gentile Pentecost

Day 12

Acts 10:23-11:18

After what I’m sure was a lively evening of conversation between Peter the devout Jew and his Gentile

house guests, they headed to Caesarea with six “believers.” Peter was wise to bring witnesses along

with him to vouch for the legitimacy of this most risky venture. I don’t think Peter was prepared to find a

houseful of people waiting to receive the word of God. This would be every preacher’s dream! But for

Peter, it must have also been strange to be standing in a house full of Gentiles sharing the gospel. Once

he heard Cornelius’ story about having a divine visitation, like the one he had, then Peter recognized the

hand of God in all this: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from

every nation the one who fears him and does what is right” (Acts 10:34-35).

Then he began to share the kerygma with them. Luke summarizes what must have been a longer speech

about Jesus’ ministry, death, and resurrection. As he reached the climax of the gospel, “All the prophets

testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name,” the

Holy Spirit came upon the group. By “all the prophets” Peter might have been referring primarily to

Isaiah 42:6-7 and 49:6, which were proof texts that God’s salvation was also available to Gentiles. The

scene in Cornelius’ house reads a lot like the one in the Upper Room on Pentecost, with everyone

speaking in tongues and praising God. Peter confirmed this when he related the story to the other

apostles in Jerusalem: “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the

beginning” (Acts 11:15). And he had witnesses: “The circumcised believers who had come with Peter

were astonished” (Acts 10:45). This is the only case in the New Testament where the Spirit came before

the baptism. We should recall that Philip had first baptized the people in Samaria before Peter and John

lay hands on them “because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them” (Acts 9:16). This might be

what astonished Peter and his witnesses more than the fact that Gentiles had received the Holy Spirit

and were speaking in tongues.

After baptizing the group Peter stayed with them for a few days, allowing time for the word to spread

“throughout Judea” (Acts 11:1). We’ve seen in Luke’s gospel the significance of table fellowship, so the

act of staying with them should be viewed as an act of inclusion in the community of believers. As

happens so often in the church, the “circumcised believers” (Jews) were quick to judge Peter for sharing

table fellowship with “uncircumcised men” (Gentiles). Sound familiar? How often did Jesus receive that

same criticism from the Pharisees? But once Peter told them the whole story, they recognized the hand

©Cindy Wheatley 42

of God in it and rejoiced at this new revelation of God’s plan. Peter’s words are key: “So if God gave

them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could

stand in God’s way?” (Acts 11:17). I wish more Christians had that attitude about change. More often we

are like the Pharisees who, when presented with irrefutable evidence of God’s work, still refused to

change their beliefs. Maybe that’s why God chose Paul, the Pharisees’ Pharisee, to show them the way.

We should never second guess God, or presume to know his plan.

The conversion of Cornelius and his family and friends was an important turning point in the history of

the early church. It was clearly part of God’s plan to fulfill the prophecy that salvation would be

extended to Gentiles as well as Jews. It set the stage for the momentous decision reached by the

Jerusalem Council in chapter 15 that would legitimize the Gentile church.

The conversion of the Gentiles also speaks to a truth about God’s grace: it comes before our act of

accepting him. God reached out to Cornelius and his group before they had received the Holy Spirit or

been baptized. True, Cornelius was already living a life of devotion, but he was not yet saved. God found

him and offered him citizenship in his kingdom. John Wesley called this “prevenient grace” because he

believed that God makes the first move in initiating a relationship with us. Salvation is not based on our

good works or our piety. It is a gift from God that we can either accept or deny. Wesley believed (as do

all Arminians) that God’s grace is universal, not saved for the elect. The story of Cornelius would seem to

support this view—as, by the way, does the calling of Abraham. John makes this clear in his gospel. Jesus

said: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them” (John 6:44). He also said,

“You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). That sounds like a clear theology of prevenient

grace in which God first reaches out to us and then we can exercise our free will to accept his grace or

not.

It’s also important for those of us who have accepted God’s grace not to withhold it from others. Jesus

told the Pharisees and teachers of the law: “You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s

faces” (Matt. 23:13). Peter realized that it was not his place to stand in God’s way. Oswald Chamber calls

this “playing the part of amateur providence, trying to play God’s role in the lives of others.” 9 When he

first entered Cornelius’ house and Cornelius fell at his feet, Peter said: “Stand up….I am only a man

myself” (Acts 10:26). He acknowledged that he was not God and undeserving of reverence. That attitude

of humility opened him up to recognize God’s work in that place and accept this new reality. That should

be our attitude as well. The opposite of Peter’s example was Jonah, whom God sent to save the

Ninevites. Jonah did not believe the Ninevites deserved to be saved, so he tried to resist God’s call. Even

when he finally did go, he did so half-heartedly. Who are we to stand in the way of God’s saving grace

and pass judgment on who deserves to be saved?

9 Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest. http://utmost.org/learning-about-his-ways/

http://utmost.org/learning-about-his-ways/

©Cindy Wheatley 43


Acts 11:15-17

“As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I

remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy

Spirit.’ So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to

think that I could stand in God’s way?”


1. What does the story of Cornelius’ conversion teach you about God’s grace? Is there anyone you

believe is beyond redemption? Are you standing in God’s way?

2. Consider the relationship between the gift of the Holy Spirit and baptism. Read the theology of

baptism as described on the United Methodist Church website:

http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.1697379/. Notice that: “We also believe that in

baptism God initiates a covenant with us.” Think about your own baptism and how God reached

out to you first.


Make a list of people or groups that you might consider unclean or unworthy of receiving God’s grace

and salvation. Think about some ways that you could change your attitude toward them and pray for

each one of them.

http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.1697379/

©Cindy Wheatley 44

Encouragers

Day 13

Acts 11:19-30

The events of this section happened simultaneously with Philip and Peter’s journeys after the killing of

Stephen. Verse 11:19 is similar in phrasing to verse 8:4, indicating that this is a continuation of the

dispersal or “scattering” of the apostles. It is interesting that Luke does not name the apostles who went

to Antioch and established the most prominent Gentile church. Antioch was the third largest city in the

Roman Empire and was a true cultural melting pot. Luke tells us that one of the seven leaders appointed

in 6:5, Nicolas, was a Jewish convert from Antioch. We are only told that men from Cyprus and Cyrene

went to Antioch and “began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus”

(Acts 11:20). Despite the fact that these were not the celebrity apostles of the church, these unnamed

evangelists were successful in converting “a great number of people.” I love the fact that such an

important event in the life of the church was carried out by the rank-and-file members, not the well-

known leaders of the church. This shows that the Holy Spirit works through everyone, and we can all do

great work for God wherever we are.

The success of this mission into Gentile territory caught the attention of the apostles in Jerusalem, who

sent Barnabas to check things out. Barnabas, who was known as “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36),

went to Antioch not to take over the mission there, but to exhort and support the work that was already

being done. “When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged

them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts” (Act 11:23). Luke tells us that Barnabas was “a

good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith” (v. 24). Barnabas is the only person in the book of Acts that

Luke describes as being “good.” We know from reading the gospels that “good” means “of God.” For

example, in Luke 18:19 Jesus tells the young ruler: “Why do you call me good?...No one is good—except

God alone.” In the Parable of the Sower Jesus says: “the good soil stands for those with a noble and

good heart” (Luke 8:15). This is the sense in which Luke calls Barnabas “a good man.” He was one who

was close to God, and who encouraged the believers in Antioch to “remain true to the Lord.”

Barnabas was also good friends with Saul, whom he brought to Antioch from Tarsus. It’s no wonder

Antioch became a hotbed of Christian missionary activity! It was here that the word “Christian” was

born. I imagine that the people of Antioch had to come up with some description for this new breed of

people who cared for one another, showed great compassion toward others, spread the good news

everywhere they went, and demonstrated complete devotion to a man they called “Christ.” Ajith

Fernando calls this a “clinging love relationship with the Christ who loved them and gave himself for

©Cindy Wheatley 45

them.”10 I love the phrase, “clinging love relationship.” It reminds me of Jesus’ comments to his disciples

in John 15:5: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much

fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” This is what we see in the church in Antioch—a group of

people clinging to Jesus and one another. As a result the church flourished. Scholars believe that this is

the community from which Matthew wrote his gospel, in which the word “church” (ekklesia) was first

used. Many people consider Antioch to be the birthplace of the Christian church.

There is something else remarkable about the church in Antioch. In addition to receiving the Holy Spirit,

they received the gift of prophecy (a sign of God’s favor). Agabus predicted “that a severe famine would

spread over the entire Roman world. The Christians of Antioch decided to send gifts back to Jerusalem

to help their fellow Christians in Judea. I can’t help but think their compassionate spirit was, in part, due

to Barnabas’ encouragement. He modeled the Christian character that then became part of the DNA of

the church in Antioch. The encouraging nature of Barnabas can also be seen in Paul’s preaching and

teaching. One of Paul’s favorite words in his letters was “encourage.”

“I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—

that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.” (Romans

1:11)

“Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another,

be of one mind, live in peace.” (2 Corinthians 13:11)

“Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:18)

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are

doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

In fact, Paul was the recipient of this encouragement when he needed it most. In his letter to the

Philippians, he describes the way his spirit and body were uplifted by the church in Philippi: “Yet it was

good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your

acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the

matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid

more than once when I was in need” (Phil. 4:14-16). Encouragement comes in many forms. It is the

outward expression of an inward connection that binds us all together as brothers and sisters in Christ.

We don’t tend to think of encouragers as being heroes of the faith, but just consider that the word “en-

courage” means to give courage, to strengthen. The early Christians were facing horrific persecution, so

they desperately needed encouragers to persevere in their faith. We still need encouragers today to

keep us going when things get difficult. The path of discipleship is not easy, and it doesn’t take much to

become “dis-couraged.” We need to surround ourselves with Barnabases, people who model good

Christian character, have a “clinging love relationship” with God, strengthen us when we’re weak, and

encourage us to do great acts of faith.

10

Ajith Fernando, NIV Application Commentary: Acts. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999, p. 301.

©Cindy Wheatley 46


Acts 11:23-24

“When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to

remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.”


1. In what ways do you encourage, or have you been encouraged, by fellow Christians? How do

people in your church know that they are not alone?

2. Think about people whom you would describe as encouragers. What do they all have in

common?


Make a list of people in your family, friends, or church whom you can encourage this week. Think of

ways that you can encourage them in their faith journey, or during a difficult time.

©Cindy Wheatley 47

Herod’s Last Stand

Day 14

Acts 12:1-24

As the Gentile church was growing by leaps and bounds, the Jewish church was still experiencing

persecution and God’s deliverance. Luke illustrates this reality with the twin stories of the martyrdom of

James and Peter’s miraculous escape from prison. Herod, still in collusion with the Jewish leaders, had

James killed—the first martyr among the apostles. This would have hit them hard, since James was one

of the three apostles, along with Peter and John, who were part of Jesus’ inner circle. He was one of the

first disciples called and he witnessed the transfiguration. Emboldened by the reaction of the Jews to

James’ death, Herod then seized Peter during Passover—ironically, the festival when all Jews celebrate

God’s miraculous deliverance and salvation.

Fortunately, Herod had to wait until after Passover to put Peter on trial, which gave the believers time

to be “earnestly praying to God for him” (Acts 12:5). We should read the word “earnestly” in the same

way that the psalmist uses it in Psalm 63:1:

You, God, are my God,

earnestly I seek you;

I thirst for you,

my whole being longs for you,

in a dry and parched land

where there is no water.

And in the way that Jairus pleaded with Jesus to heal his daughter: “He pleaded earnestly with him, ‘My

little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live’”

(Mark 5:23). And in the way that Luke describes Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane: “And being

in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground” (Luke

22:44). Praying earnestly means pleading or begging, with our whole heart, for something we want

more than anything else.

Peter was awakened by an angel, who escorted him to safety. Peter had already experienced one divine

visitation when he was in a trance in chapter 10, so it’s reasonable that he would assume this was also a

vision. When he realized that it was really happening, he went to the house of John Mark, whom

scholars believe may have written the gospel of Mark. Here’s another irony: even though the believers

©Cindy Wheatley 48

had been praying earnestly all night for Peter’s deliverance, when the servant girl announced that Peter

was at the door, they thought she was crazy! How often do we pray for something, yet we’re still

surprised when God answers our prayers?

In his embarrassment over Peter’s escape, Herod executed the guards and ran away to hide in his palace

at Caesarea. This is the typical response of cowardly tyrants. They have others do their bidding, but do

not want to accept the blame when things go wrong. When the delegates from Tyre and Sidon attempt

to flatter him by calling him a “god,” Luke says that Herod was struck down by an angel of the Lord for

not correcting them. This seems like an odd detail since rulers of that time were always claiming to be

gods. But we must remember that Herod was a Jew; in fact, he was the king of the Jews. He broke the

first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exo. 20:3). We should also notice that

an angel of the Lord released Peter from prison and an angel of the Lord killed Herod. This seems like a

fitting closure to the section of Acts dedicated to the Jewish church in Jerusalem. The image of Herod

standing before the people dressed in his royal robes (v.21) while worms were eating him from the

inside (v. 23) should remind us of Jesus’ warning to the teachers of the law and Pharisees: “You clean

the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence….You are like

whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the

dead and everything unclean” (Matt. 23:25-27). Herod was rotting from the inside while the church of

Jesus Christ continued to grow: “But the word of God continued to spread and flourish” (Acts 12:24).

Luke uses this miraculous story to close the chapter on the church in Jerusalem; the rest of Acts is

devoted to Paul’s missions among the Gentiles. We must be careful not to use Peter’s story to build a

simplistic theology of God’s deliverance through prayer, or the role of angels. Remember that James was

not delivered from death. No angel appeared to hold the executioner’s sword while he escaped. Even

Satan quoted Psalm 91:11-12 when trying to tempt Jesus in the desert: “He will command his angels

concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a

stone” (Matt 4:6). To which Jesus replied, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test” (v. 7). When Jesus

was praying in the garden before his arrest, Luke says that an angel came and strengthened him (Luke

22:43). This was God’s answer to his prayer, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my

will, but yours be done.” God doesn’t always deliver us from our trials, but he does strengthen us to

persevere through them. In Isaiah 43:2, God says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with

you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the

fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Notice that God does not say that he will

part the waters or put out the flames. But he will be with us during our trials and they will not consume

us. When we pray “thy will be done,” we are submitting to God’s plan in all things. It is not for us to tell

Him what the outcome should be. But we should be comforted in knowing that he will send his angels to

strengthen us.

©Cindy Wheatley 49


Acts 12:5

“So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”


1. Have you ever prayed “earnestly” for something? How did God answer your prayer? What do

the stories of James and Peter tell you about the way we should pray? What is the appropriate

attitude of prayer, even when we plead to God for something we want?

2. This chapter is full of irony. It’s ironic that Peter was seized during Passover to please the Jews,

who were celebrating their own miraculous deliverance. It’s ironic that the believers prayed

earnestly for Peter’s release and then didn’t believe it when it happened. It’s ironic that the

gates of prison swung open for Peter, but he had to beat at Mark’s door to be let in. What do

you think Luke is trying to tell us with these ironic twists?


What do you want so badly from God that you are willing to plead and beg? Organize a prayer vigil in

which you and a group of believers pray earnestly for something. Journal about the experience.

©Cindy Wheatley 50

Mission to the Gentiles

Day 15

Acts 13:1-14:28

Chapters 13 and 14 cover the first missionary journey of Paul, Barnabas, and Mark to the island of

Cyprus and into south Galatia. Luke makes it clear that this mission was Spirit-led: “While they were

worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to

which I have called them’” (Acts 13:2). We can see the common pattern of the early church: praying and

fasting to seek God’s will and guidance, followed by the movement of the Holy Spirit. Notice that on

their return trip to the churches in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, Paul and Barnabas repeat this pattern

as they establish and commission church leadership (Acts 14:23). As we will see, this special anointing

would be crucial for the young church to withstand the strong forces that resisted the gospel message

and would work hard to destroy them.

Just as Philip encountered Simon the Sorcerer in Samaria (Acts 8:9-24), Paul and Barnabas encountered

a Jewish sorcerer named Bar-Jesus in Paphos on the island of Cyprus. It is noteworthy that most of the

conflict during this journey will come from Jews, not from Romans. In fact, Luke describes Sergius

Paulus, the Roman proconsul, as “an intelligent man” who sent for Paul and Barnabas “to hear the word

of God” (Acts 13:7). Bar-Jesus/Elymas tried to stand in the way of the Holy Spirit’s work in that place, so

Saul/Paul rebuked him and performed a reverse healing, making him “blind for a time” (v. 11). Luke

makes it clear that Paul’s words came from the Holy Spirit (v. 9), as did the power to blind him. I’m

reminded of Jesus’ accusation of the Pharisees as being “blind guides”: “You blind guides! You strain out

a gnat but swallow a camel” (Matt. 23:24). This is an appropriate verse to keep in mind as Paul and

Barnabas encounter significant resistance from Jews who insist that all new Gentile believers conform to

Jewish law. This brief scene sets up the central motif of this first journey: the openness of the Gentiles

and the blindness of the Jews.

Despite their run-in with Bar-Jesus/Elymas, Paul and Barnabas always went first to the Jews, in keeping

with Jesus’ mission to first save Israel and then the rest of the world. They spoke in the synagogue in

Pisidian Antioch after being invited by the leaders. Paul delivered the kerygma, beginning with the

exodus and emphasizing God’s promises and providence throughout the history of Israel. He tied Jesus

to Abraham and David, using Old Testament scripture as his platform for declaring Jesus to be the long-

awaited Messiah who had brought salvation. This would have been a fairly familiar story to them until

he got to this part: “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins

is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you

were not able to obtain under the law of Moses” (Acts 13:39). These words would have been as

©Cindy Wheatley 51

shocking to them as Jesus’ proclamation in the synagogue in Luke 4:21: “Today this scripture is fulfilled

in your hearing.” The resistance of the Jews in the synagogue led Jesus to say “no prophet is accepted in

his hometown” (v. 24) and then proceed to lift up two examples from the Old Testament of Gentiles

who were healed by Elijah and Elisha because their fellow Israelites did not believe. Paul’s speech in the

synagogue incited the Jewish leaders to run them out of town, just as Jesus and his disciples were run

out of Nazareth. They shook the dirt off their sandals as they left, just as Jesus had instructed his

disciples (Luke 10:11). Luke reminds us that they “were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” (Acts

13:52), suggesting that they took this rejection in stride as part of spreading the gospel. They were not

discouraged, but moved boldly on to the next town, Iconium.

In Iconium they experienced the same division they saw in Pisidian Antioch between those who believed

the gospel message and the Jews who tried to block their influence. A significant controversy was

brewing over whether Gentile Christians had to observe Jewish law (especially circumcision) when they

converted. Some commentators believe this might have been the reason that Mark left and returned to

Jerusalem (Acts 13:13). Luke suggests in 15:38 that Paul considered this a desertion of their mission. But

despite the threat to their safety, Paul and Barnabas continued to preach “boldly for the Lord” (Acts

14:3). Perhaps the conflict was a sign to them that they were on the right track, since Jesus had

predicted that his disciples would be persecuted in his name. In fact, there is a strong parallel between

the scene in Lystra and what happened to Jesus in Jerusalem. After Paul healed a lame man, the native

Lycaonians worshipped them as gods. They brought “bulls and wreaths to the city gates to offer

sacrifices to them,” much as the crowd had “spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread

branches they had cut in the fields” (Mark 11:8) as Jesus entered Jerusalem. Just as that crowd turned

murderous within days of exalting Jesus as their king, the crowd in Lystra was easily turned from their

adoration of Paul to a desire to stone him. While Paul did not die, he was revived from unconsciousness

by the care the disciples, suggesting that there were genuine believers there who would carry on the

mission of the church.

We can see how the seeds that were planted during their travels had taken root as Paul and Barnabas

retraced their steps on their way back to Antioch. Despite the persecution they experienced, they “won

a large number of disciples” (Acts 14:21). “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of

God” (v. 22) was a hard-won lesson. On their return visits to Lystra, Iconium and Pisidian Antioch, they

played the role of encouragers rather than evangelists. They helped them set up and commission church

leadership, an important function as we saw in the church in Jerusalem.

Many scholars believe that these churches in south Galatia are the “churches in Galatia” (Gal. 1:1) to

whom Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians. This letter is believed to have been written mere months

after Paul returned to Antioch from his first missionary journey. The problem he addressed in that letter

was the influence of the Jewish Christians who insisted that the Gentile believers had to adhere to

Mosaic law. “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the

grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all” (Gal. 1:6). Here we

see the origin of the theological conundrum of faith versus works, as Paul describes in Romans 9: “What

then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, righteousness

that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not

©Cindy Wheatley 52

attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works” (Romans

9:30-32). We will deal more specifically with this argument in the next meditation, but it’s worth

pointing out that the work Paul and Barnabas did in spreading the gospel during their first missionary

journey was quickly threatened from within the church itself, not just by outside forces. As Jesus said in

Luke 11:17: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will

fall.” Unity was an important theme for Paul because he understood that the young church would not

survive if it were not strengthened from within. They would be like the seed that fell on rocky ground:

“the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a

while, but in the time of testing they all away” (Luke 8:13). That’s why we must nurture and encourage

new Christians until they grow deep roots in the faith and can withstand the divisive forces that can

cause them to doubt. Paul beautifully expressed this in his letter to the Ephesians: “So Christ himself

gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works

of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the

knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of

Christ” (Eph. 4:11-13). It takes everyone using their spiritual gifts for the mutual edification, equipping,

and encouraging of the saints to strengthen the Church for the salvation of the world.


Acts 14:21-23

“They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to

Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the

faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said. Paul and Barnabas

appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in

whom they had put their trust.”


1. We are fortunate that we live in a country that celebrates religious freedom, so we are not in

danger of experiencing religious persecution. So how are we to understand Paul’s statement,

“We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God”? What types of hardships

have you encountered because of your faith?

2. Have you ever prepared for something through prayer and fasting? Fasting is an ancient spiritual

discipline that is associated with total submission to God’s will, as well as repentance for sins.

Using a Bible search tool such as Biblegateway.com or Blueletterbible.org, search for the word

“fasting” in the Bible and consider the circumstances in which it was performed. What does this

tell you about the importance of this spiritual practice?


Set aside a day for prayer and fasting. This website provides helpful guidelines:

http://www.cru.org/training-and-growth/devotional-life/personal-guide-to-fasting/01-message-from-

bill-bright.htm. Journal about your experience.

http://www.cru.org/training-and-growth/devotional-life/personal-guide-to-fasting/01-message-from-bill-bright.htm

http://www.cru.org/training-and-growth/devotional-life/personal-guide-to-fasting/01-message-from-bill-bright.htm

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The Jerusalem Council

Day 16

Acts 15:1-35

The Jerusalem Council is at both the structural and theological center of the book of Acts. The issue of

whether Gentiles had to first be Jewish proselytes before they could become Christians had the

potential to tear the fledgling church apart. We can see in Galatians chapter two that after Peter’s vision

and experience at Cornelius’ house, he came to Antioch where he was swayed by the “Judaizers” to

reverse his position on eating with Gentiles. Paul scolded Peter publicly “because he stood condemned”

(Gal. 2:11). When two of the leaders of the church argue publicly, it’s time to address this issue head-on.

This was the impetus for the Jerusalem Council. Paul and Barnabas traveled to Jerusalem from Antioch,

where they were “welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders” (Acts 15:4).

The Jerusalem Council stands as a great example of how the church can resolve its differences. They

created a welcoming environment for debate, even though they were on the home turf of those who

favored circumcision for Gentiles. There was “much discussion” before Peter stood up and addressed

the crowd. He had obviously listened carefully, because he reversed his position and supported Paul and

Barnabas. The group was silent as they listened to Peter’s testimony among the Gentiles in Caesarea and

“the signs and wonders” Paul and Barnabas were experiencing in their journeys. These were all

indications of God’s approval and the activity among the Gentiles. Perhaps they remembered the words

of Gamaliel: “But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves

fighting against God” (Acts 5:39). If it is God’s will that Gentiles can be saved without keeping the Jewish

law and customs, then who were they to argue with God?

After hearing testimony from Peter, Paul, and Barnabas, then James (the brother of Jesus) stood up to

speak. He had become the lead apostle, presumably after Peter disappeared following his miraculous

prison break. James presented an acceptable Jewish response to the situation: in the end times there

will be two groups—a restored Israel and Gentile believers. This reasoning preserves Jewish primacy

while allowing Gentiles to become Christians without first becoming Jews. On the issue of circumcision

they voted “no”; on the issue of sharing table fellowship, they imposed minimal standards for Gentiles

eating with Jews: “abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of

strangled animals and from blood” (Acts 15:20). That’s a far cry from the hundreds of food laws the Jews

followed! They modeled compromise as a strategy for maintaining peace within the community.

They also modeled unity as they went out to share the decision with the churches in Antioch, Syria and

Cilicia. First they wrote a letter explaining their decision, then they sent Judas and Silas with Paul and

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Barnabas to deliver the message in person “to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing” (Acts

15:27). I’m sure that the presence of these apostles from Jerusalem made the Gentile churches feel like

an honored and important part of the church. Judas and Silas “said much to encourage and strengthen

the believers” (v. 32).

Luke’s account of the Jerusalem Council is brief and does not convey the substance of the debate that

took place over what I’m sure was days. We can read Paul’s argument in his letter to the Galatians and

in Romans 9-11. The theme of law versus grace was a major tenant of Paul’s theology, as he explains in

this passage from Galatians 3:23-29.

Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law,

locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law

was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.

Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. So in

Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who

were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is

neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male nor

female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then

you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

We are familiar with the concept of justification by faith due to its prominence in Romans 5:1-2:

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus

Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” It was this

chapter that convinced Martin Luther to write his 95 theses and nail them to the door of the church in

Wittenberg, challenging the authority of the Pope and the concept of salvation by works. We are not

saved by works, but by grace alone. Paul argues that God gave them the law because of their

“transgressions,” to keep them holy until the coming of Christ. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said,

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish them but

to fulfill them” (Matt. 5:17). The author of the letter to the Hebrews provided an elaborate explanation

of what this statement means. He explained that the blood of the sacrifice was meant only to cleanse

the Israelites for worship; it did not provide forgiveness of sins. That’s why it had to be repeated. “The

law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it

can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near

for worship….It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Heb. 10:1-4). Christ was

both High Priest and sacrificial lamb rolled into one. He provided the blood of sacrifice and absolution

for sins once and for all. Paul states it simply in Galatians 3:14: “He redeemed us in order that the

blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might

receive the promise of the Spirit.” When Jesus opened the door to eternal life, he opened it for

everyone, not just the Jews.

This represented a huge turning point in the history of the church. His speech in Acts 15 is the last time

we hear from Peter (except in his letters). The rest of the book is devoted to Paul’s missions among the

Gentiles, which the decision by the Jerusalem Council made possible. The Council put the needs of

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Christ’s church above their own agendas and took steps to discern God’s will. We are the beneficiaries

of their faithful leadership. It’s difficult for Christians today to fully appreciate the significance of the rift

that existed in the church between the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians, though there are

many other issues that threaten to divide us. Forms of baptism, speaking in tongues, and the acceptance

of homosexuals spring to mind as a few of those issues that tear churches apart and keep us from being

a unified global Church. Unfortunately, we are not as civil in our proceedings as the Jerusalem Council

was. The hate speech coming from Christian groups is just as virulent as anything we can hear on talk

radio. Perhaps we need another Jerusalem Council to bring together leadership from all Protestant

denominations to seek common ground and the will of God.

One of my favorite stories of Christian evangelism comes from Don Miller’s book Blue Like Jazz. Miller

was a student at Reed College, which is one of the most liberal schools in the country. There was only a

small group of Christians at the school who were searching for a way to reach their fellow students.

During the annual Bacchanalia festival, they decided to set up a confession booth. But instead of asking

the revelers to confess their sins, the Christians asked for forgiveness for the sins of the church. They

modeled confession! And they modeled humility, which was at the heart of Jesus’ teaching. Miller put it

this way: “For so much of my life I had been defending Christianity because I thought to admit that we

had done any wrong was to discredit the religious system as a whole, but it isn’t a religious system it is

people following Christ; and the important thing to do, the right thing to do, was to apologize for getting

in the way of Jesus.”11 How often do our own egos get in the way of Jesus? It’s rare that we hear

religious leaders apologize for not following the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We can learn a lot from the

humility of Peter who stood up and spoke an unpopular opinion in front of the home crowd because he

believed it was what God intended. Healing of the church begins with humility and a sincere focus on

what is right for God’s kingdom, not for us, our church, our denomination, our political party, or our

country. Jesus put us above all else; we should do the same.


Acts 15:8-11

“God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he

did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then,

why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors

have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just

as they are.”


1. Have you experienced conflict within the church? How was it resolved, or could it be resolved?

Review Jesus’ instruction in Matthew 18:15-20 and the example set by the Jerusalem Council in

Acts 15. What guidance do these passages from scripture provide about how to resolve conflict

among believers?

11

Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2003, p. 118.

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If you were to write a letter of confession on behalf of today’s church, what would you apologize for?

Where is humility needed to heal divisions within Christianity?

©Cindy Wheatley 57

Fruitful Suffering

Day 17

Acts 15:36-16:40

It’s interesting that the consensus of the Jerusalem Council would be immediately followed by

dissension between Paul and Barnabas! I appreciate Luke’s honesty in showing both the strengths and

the weaknesses of the church. These were, after all, human beings who were prone to the same

mistakes that we make today. We need only remember the Israelites wandering in the desert in the

book of Numbers to recall how God works his plan despite human frailties! In the case of Paul and

Barnabas, their argument over taking Mark and decision to split up worked in the favor of the mission.

While Barnabas and Mark traveled back to Cyprus, Paul and Silas traveled to visit the churches in south

Galatia. In Lystra they picked up Timothy, who was part Jewish (hence the reason why Paul circumcised

him). In Philippi they would meet Luke (hence the “we” verses). Paul’s second missionary journey would

be extremely fruitful. Not only did God open up new territories for mission to the Gentiles, he brought

forth more workers for the harvest!

In verses 16:6-10, Luke indicates that the Holy Spirit was actively guiding Paul, Silas, and Timothy in their

journey—to the point of keeping them from entering certain regions and calling them to others. Notice

that Luke mentions the entire Trinity as being their traveling companions: Holy Spirit (v. 6), Jesus (v. 7),

and God (v. 10). The active presence of God in directing and guiding them reminds me of the cloud of

presence that guided and directed the Israelites in the desert. Because they had the Holy Spirit within

them, they did not need a visible cloud to guide them, but they were just as certain about God’s divine

presence. Paul even had a divine visitation at night telling him to go to Macedonia—an unmistakable

sign of God’s will. Not only does this show us that God was in charge, but it also would have helped to

legitimate the growth of the church for those familiar with Jewish scripture and history.

Once Luke joined the team in Troas, the narrative voice switches to the first person and we get the

travel detail of an eyewitness account. This witness along with the signs of divine guidance would have

strengthened the case for legitimacy. This leg of the journey was historically significant because the

team of evangelists carried the gospel further west than they had ever gone (that’s why the vision was

so significant). Sometimes we need a little push to get us out of our comfort zone. I’m sure that Paul

and Silas would have enjoyed visiting with the churches they had already planted a little longer, but God

had other plans for them.

We see some amazing conversion stories in this chapter. The conversion of Lydia occurred through a

chance meeting at the river. They sat down to speak with a group of women and shared the gospel with

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them. The Lord opened Lydia’s heart and she responded. We’re not told whether any of the other

women responded, but Lydia was important because she was a businesswoman (“a dealer in purple

cloth” (Acts 16:14)) who had influence. She was baptized along with her household and offered the

evangelists hospitality. The conversion of the slave girl was equally important, though not as pleasant

for Paul and Silas! She had a demon inside her that allowed her to tell fortunes. When Paul rebuked her

demon in the name of Jesus Christ, her owners were none too pleased to lose their source of income.

They brought them up before the authorities on charges of disrupting the peace and “advocating

customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice” (Acts 16:21). We aren’t told exactly what those

unlawful practices were, but this was not the first time that the apostles were brought up on trumped-

up charges. This episode underscores the danger of evangelism in a foreign culture. It should be noted

that Paul and Silas did not seek out the fortune teller. Luke says that she followed them around town

shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved” (v.

17). Finally Paul healed her just to shut her up! They first went in search of a place of prayer

(synagogue), as was their custom in a new town, but Satan had other plans. Evangelism should not seek

to disrupt the existing culture, but rather work within it. The conversion of Lydia is a positive example of

how evangelism works best: to start with sympathizers who can become influencers within their own

culture. Lydia was a woman with wealth and power, but who was also “a worshiper of God” (v. 14).

But we know that God sent them to Philippi for a reason, and it wasn’t to live in the lap of luxury in

Lydia’s house. It was to be publicly humiliated, flogged, and shackled in prison! While in prison, Paul and

Silas had the opportunity to live out their faith by singing and praying “and the other prisoners were

listening to them” (v. 25). But when the prison doors flew open and everyone’s chains fell loose, they

did not run. That would have caused the jailer shame and embarrassment. Instead, they showed

spiritual leadership and encouraged the prisoners to stay put. What an amazing Christian witness! The

jailer fell at their feet and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (v. 28). This gave them the opening

they needed to evangelize to everyone in the prison. Like Lydia, the jailer was baptized along with his

household and showed them grateful hospitality.

This story reminds me of Joseph in Genesis. He was wrongly imprisoned by Potiphar, but instead of

growing bitter and resentful he was a model prisoner. He gained the trust and respect of the guards and

his fellow prisoners. “But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him

kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden” (Gen. 39:20-21). Eventually, this good

favor led to an audience with Pharaoh, who made Joseph his second in command. Joseph endured ten

years in prison by showing strong character and faith. God used his imprisonment to save his family and

Israel. Joseph testified to this when he said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my

suffering” (Gen. 41:52).

A similar story from church history is that of Saint Patrick. Patrick was a Roman citizen living in Briton

when he was kidnapped by Celtic pirates at the age of sixteen and forced into slavery. He spent his time

tending sheep and praying. After six years, a voice spoke to him in a dream telling him it was time to go

home. Patrick began walking south and talked his way onto a boat that took him home. He attended

seminary and became a priest. But the same voice that led him home told him to return to Ireland.

During his enslavement he had come to know and understand the Celtic culture. Who better to send to

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convert them? He obeyed God’s call and pulled off the most successful mission in the history of the

church. He could have left Ireland hating those who stole his youth, but instead he saw his time in

captivity as preparation for doing God’s work.12 Paul and Silas could have hated the Philippians for the

way they treated them, but instead the church in Philippi became one of his favorites. In his letter to the

Philippians he expressed this affection: “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for

you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being

confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of

Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:3-6). I like to think this “partnership in the gospel” was born the moment that Paul

and Silas got out of prison: “After Paul and Silas came out of prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where

they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them” (Acts 16:40). God works through all of our

experiences, but sometimes our greatest trials become our most powerful testimonies. God makes us

fruitful in the land of our suffering.


Acts 16:6-10

“Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by

the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia,

they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia

and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging

him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to

leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”


1. Have you ever felt the Holy Spirit guiding you like Paul and Silas were guided in their journey?

Were you obedient in following God’s prompting? Do you think that kind of real and practical

divine guidance only happens in the Bible, or does God still work that way?

2. Can you think of a time of “fruitful suffering” in your life or the life of someone you know? How

can the examples of Joseph, Paul, and Saint Patrick serve as models for the Christian attitude

toward suffering?


Is there someone you would like to share the gospel with? Review the stories of Philip and the Ethiopian

eunuch in 8:26-40 and the conversion of Lydia in this chapter. What guidance do these stories provide

about evangelism? What steps could you take to share Christ with this person?

12

For more on Saint Patrick’s life and mission in Ireland I highly recommend Thomas Cahill’s How the Irish Saved Civilization (New York: Doubleday, 1995) and George C. Hunter’s The Celtic Way of Evangelism (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2000).

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The Success of Failure

Day 18

Acts 17:1-34

On the surface, Paul experienced three failed missionary visits in chapter 17. He was driven out of

Thessalonica and Berea and met with a lackluster response from the crowd in Athens. Any one of those

experiences would be enough to make us want to pack up and go home. But in his usual style, Paul saw

every day of sharing the gospel as a good day, even when the results weren’t what he hoped for. Paul

understood that what might look like failure from a human perspective can become a victory for the

kingdom.

Upon entering Thessalonica, Paul, Silas, and Timothy (Luke probably stayed in Philippi) went first to the

Jews in the synagogue, as was their custom. For three weeks Paul “reasoned with them from the

scriptures” (Acts 17:2). That’s a nice way of saying that he passionately preached the gospel. Some were

persuaded while others were riled by Paul’s impertinence. The Jews incited a riot, and dragged the

evangelists’ host, Jason, to the Roman authorities. Luke paints quite a picture of civic unrest. It’s no

wonder that they had to leave Thessalonica under the cover of darkness. This sounds like a brief visit to

a not-so-welcoming place, but we get a very different picture from Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians.

What sounds like a brief stay must have lasted longer, since Paul says that they worked to earn a living

there (1 Thess. 2:9). In his letter to the Philippians he thanks them for sending him aid “more than once”

when he was in Thessalonica (Phil. 4:16). He praises the Thessalonians for the strength of their faith

despite persecution: “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God,

which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God,

which is indeed at work in you who believe. For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s

churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same thins those

churches suffered from the Jews” (1 Thess. 2:14). Despite Luke’s brief description of their time in

Thessalonica, God obviously used it for his purposes. When Timothy returned some months later, he

found them not discouraged but resolute, which encouraged the apostles: “Therefore, brothers and

sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith” (1

Thess. 3:8). Again we see that a flower can bloom in the desert and the gospel can flourish in the midst

of suffering.

Their reception in Berea was more positive. There the Jews listened to Paul “with great eagerness” (Acts

17:11). But the agitated Jews from Thessalonica followed them to Berea to stir up trouble, so they sent

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Paul to Athens. In Athens he found a bastion of Greek philosophy. What a contrast! From the overly

emotional Thessalonians to the emotionless Greeks. They saw Paul as a curiosity and wanted to find out

what his ideas meant—in a cold, analytical way. Paul stood before the Aeropagus and delivered a

culturally-appropriate speech using something they were familiar with: gods. He spoke of a creator God

who created humans to be his family, and who wants a relationship with his children. God isn’t just a

piece of art—he is an active force in the world who both loves and judges.

Some commentators have criticized Paul for not mentioning Jesus in this speech. That’s why he failed,

they say, because he did not stick to the kerygma. But he did convert a member of the Aeropagus,

Dionysius, which is no small feat. Paul was probably being cautious. The Jews had been run out of Rome

the previous year, so mentioning Jesus might have called unwanted attention to himself. More

importantly, however, Paul modeled an important aspect of multi-cultural evangelism—relevancy. As he

explains in 1 Corinthians 9:22-23: “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I

might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” He modified

his message to fit his audience.

We also must keep in mind that we do not convert anyone—that’s the work of the Holy Spirit. God only

calls us to be obedient; we are not responsible for the outcome of ministry. It’s human nature to

measure success by things like numbers and acclaim. God measures success differently. He measures

success by lost souls that are found. Recall what Jesus said in Luke 15:7: “I tell you that in the same way

there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous

persons who do not need to repent.” Heaven rejoiced over the conversion of Dionysus and Damaris

“and a number of others” that day in Athens. By God’s standards, Paul had a good day.


Acts 17:11-12

“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the

message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek

men.”


1. Paul did not know the impact he had had on the Thessalonians until after he left them in shame

and Timothy returned months later. Have you ever experienced a failure that turned out to have

a good result over time? How can knowing this help you deal with difficult situations?

2. Compare the way that Paul “reasoned” with the Jews in the synagogue and the way he

“reasoned” with the Greeks in Athens. Read 1 Corinthians 9:19-23. How can you apply this

principle of becoming all things to all people to your own interactions? Does this make

evangelism easier, or more difficult?

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Pick a group from today’s society that might be similar to the Athenians. How would you explain the

gospel in a way they would understand and accept it?

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Strength in Weakness

Day 19

Acts 18:1-17

“After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth” (Acts 18:1). This short, simple sentence tells us nothing

about Paul’s state of mind as he traveled to Corinth from Athens. But we can imagine how he was

feeling. He had been run out of three towns in Macedonia and yawned out of Athens. He was traveling

alone to a city that was known for sexual immorality (think Las Vegas). As he tells them in 1 Corinthians

2:3: “I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling.” Paul saw his weakness as an advantage

in preaching the gospel. “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but

with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on

God’s power” (1 Cor. 2:4-5). Despite his dejection, Paul persevered and depended on the strength of

Christ to pull him through. How many of us would have given up at this point? But Paul understood that

there is weakness in depending on our own strength, and strength in acknowledging our own weakness:

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than

human strength” (1 Cor. 1:25).

As was his custom, Paul first sought out a base camp that he could work from. In this case it was with

Aquila and Priscilla, Jewish Christian tentmakers like himself. They had something else in common with

Paul: they had recently been run out of Rome by Emperor Claudius. Paul worked with them as a

tentmaker and “reasoned in the synagogue” every Sabbath. But when Silas and Timothy joined him and

brought gifts from the church in Philippi then he was able to “devote himself exclusively to preaching,

testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah” (Acts 18:5). I would imagine that when Paul was only

preaching on the Sabbath he was tolerable, but once he began preaching full-time the Jews became

quite agitated. Silas and Timothy brought more than just money—they brought encouraging news about

the churches that Paul had planted in Philippi and Thessalonica. This must have bolstered Paul’s courage

and fervor in sharing the gospel in Corinth. When the Jews became abusive “he shook out his clothes in

protest” (v. 6) and devoted himself to preaching to the Gentiles. A move that was affirmed by God in a

vision when he told Paul to “keep on speaking, do not be silent” (v. 9). When Paul went to the house of

Titius Justus, he converted the entire household of Crispus, the synagogue leader, and many

Corinthians. This bountiful harvest encouraged Paul to stay in Corinth for a year and a half.

But the Jews were still riled that Paul was preaching the resurrected Messiah, his central message. “For I

resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). To the

Jews this was blasphemy, so they tried to enlist the help of the Roman authority, Gallio, to declare Paul

an outlaw. Judaism enjoyed a religio licita status in the Roman Empire. The Jewish leaders wanted

Christians declared religio illicita. This is what we call today a “landmark case,” because it would be

precedent setting. If Paul lost, then he could be blocked everywhere he went. But if Paul won, the

apostles could move freely about the Empire. Gallio refused to hear the case, claiming it was merely

religious infighting. So in effect, he declared Christianity a Jewish sect, which granted it religio licita

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status by association. The plan backfired on the Jews, as evidenced by the beating of the synagogue

leader in reprisal (Acts 18:17).

All of Paul’s hard work paid off and he ended his second missionary journey on a high note. He stayed in

Corinth a while longer, but then headed home to Antioch by way of Jerusalem. He cut his hair “because

of a vow he had taken” (v. 18). Commentators believe that Paul may have taken the Nazirite vow as

described in Numbers 6. One aspect of this special vow of devotion was that “no razor may be used on

their head. They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the Lord is over; they must let their

hair grow long” (Num. 6:5). When the period of dedication was over, they would cut their hair and

present it to the Lord along with other sacrifices in the temple. There are two significant aspects of this

vow I’d like to consider. First, it shows that when things got tough, Paul focused more on his relationship

with God. He focused on his own holiness and re-dedicated himself to spiritual discipline. This is a great

lesson for us when we face a crisis of faith. The answer is not to pull away from God, but to draw nearer

to him. When the crisis was over for Paul, he ended his period of dedication and set sail for Jerusalem to

fulfill his vow. This shows us that Paul continued to practice the Jewish customs even though he was

preaching primarily to Gentiles. He never gave up being a Jew.

After he visited Jerusalem he returned to his home church in Antioch before setting out on his third

missionary journey. He needed to recharge his battery and share the good news of his travels with the

church in Antioch so they could be encouraged. Luke makes it clear that while Paul was in Jerusalem and

Antioch, others were at work spreading the gospel. Priscilla and Aquila traveled with him to Ephesus,

where they met a Greek Jew named Apollos. He was knowledgeable about Jewish scripture, but not as

well versed in the kerygma because he “knew only the baptism of John” (Acts 18:25). Priscilla and Aquila

invited him into their home and “explained to him the way of God more adequately” (v. 26). It sounds

like he had the foundational knowledge, but lacked some of the nuances of the gospel. Once those

deficiencies were addressed, Apollos became a strong preacher and went to Corinth to carry on the

work of Paul, Priscilla, and Aquila.

We know that he was successful because Paul names him in his first letter to the Corinthians:

For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you

not mere human beings? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only

servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord assigned to each

his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it

grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything,

but only God, who makes things grow. (1 Cor. 3:4-6)

I had the opportunity to go to Cuba where my mother had been a missionary as a young girl in the early

1950’s (before the Castro revolution). I had grown up hearing stories about pre-Castro Cuba and the

strong faith of the Christians there. As we toured the island and witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit

in their worship services and the strength of their faith, I was reminded of all the missionaries like my

mother who had planted the seeds that grew into a mighty harvest, despite persecution. I was reminded

of this passage from 1 Corinthians where Paul reminds them that we are all mere human beings,

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workers in the field who plant and water the seeds, but God is the farmer. The Methodist church in

Cuba almost died out under the Castro regime, but a faithful remnant kept the faith alive until religious

restrictions were relaxed in the 1990s. Since then, the Methodist church has exploded and is the second

largest religion in Cuba next to Catholicism. Other denominations are experiencing similar growth. What

a testament to the power of the missionary spirit and the indomitable faith of the people in God’s

promises!

This is what we see in the book of Acts. Despite persecution and hardship, a committed group of

apostles planted and watered the seeds of the gospel that grew into strong churches in Corinth,

Thessalonica, Philippi, and Ephesus. No one person can take the credit, but rather it takes a community

of faith working together over time to change the world. As Margaret Mead once said: “Never doubt

that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing

that ever has.”


Acts 18:9-11

“One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I

am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.’ So

Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.”


1. One the most difficult things to do is to persevere in the face of hardship. What lessons have

you learned from Paul’s example?

2. Do you feel that God is calling you to plant seeds somewhere? Who can you enlist to help you in

this cause? What obstacles will you need to overcome?


Pray about a ministry that you feel God is calling you to. Take a special vow of dedication during this

period of discernment and commit yourself to perform certain spiritual disciplines (such as fasting,

taking communion every day, walking a prayer labyrinth, etc.). Share your vision with a group of

Christian friends who could join you in this sacred journey.

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Dark Forces

Day 20

Acts 19:1-41

In the first century, Ephesus was known for occult practices and for worship of the goddess Artemis. The

incidents that Luke recounts in Paul’s visit to Ephesus feature dark forces, magic, and miraculous

healings. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul casts the struggle of Christianity in terms of good versus evil:

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against

the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12). In chapter 19 we can see why this was of

particular importance to those living in Ephesus and the surrounding region.

Upon arriving in Ephesus, Paul encountered a group of 12 “disciples.” When he asked them if they had

received the Holy Spirit, they were ignorant of what he meant (Acts 19:2). As followers of John the

Baptist they certainly would have heard of the Holy Spirit, but they obviously had not heard about what

happened at Pentecost. Like the story of Apollos in chapter 18, this story is a reminder to us that we

cannot always assume how completely people understand the full gospel. While Apollos was an

enthusiastic disciple and a gifted speaker, Priscilla and Aquila still had to complete his knowledge about

Jesus. Here again Luke shares a story of disciples who only had part of the story. In the case of Apollos

and the Ephesians their ignorance was due to their physical separation from the heart of the Christian

movement. Today the problem can certainly be about geography, but it’s more likely due to the

historically low rate of biblical literacy. In this day and age when the Bible has never been more available

(and in almost every language!), global understanding of it has never been lower. It is important that we

strive to study scripture and understand its core message, but also that we encourage others to read

and understand God’s word. Otherwise, they are like the Ephesian disciples who were living outside the

fullness of grace and power available to them through the Holy Spirit.

For the second time, Paul starts his ministry in the synagogue, but then leaves due to Jewish obstinacy.

He moves his home base to a lecture hall, where for two years he spoke daily about Jesus. We believe

that Paul would have had access to the lecture hall between 11 AM and 4 PM.13 Think about that: five

hours a day for 730 days Paul preached in Ephesus. That’s 3,650 hours of evangelism! It’s no wonder

that “all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord” (Acts 19:10).

13

Ajith Fernando, Acts: NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998, p. 466.

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Paul did more than just preach. He also performed “extraordinary miracles” (v. 11). Given the popularity

of the occult in Ephesus, it’s no wonder that miracles were an important part of Paul’s ministry there.

Luke tells us that “even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and

their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them” (v. 12). These miracles caught the attention of

the seven sons of Sceva, a self-proclaimed Jewish chief priest who could cast out demons. Like Simon

the Sorcerer in Samaria, they saw Paul’s healing ministry as a great gig, so they thought they’d try it.

They used the name of Jesus to rebuke demons (vv. 13-14). Of course, it backfired on them; the demons

recognized them as imposters and beat them up. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul emphasizes Christ’s

power over heaven and hell. “What does ‘he ascended’ mean except that he also descended to the

lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in

order to fill the whole universe” (Eph. 4:9-10. We affirm Christ’s supremacy over death and evil in the

Apostle’s Creed when we say: “Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He

descended into hell.” Not only did Paul need to affirm the extraordinary power that was available to

them through the Holy Spirit (“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power

through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (Eph. 3:16-

17)), but also confirm that only God has the power to heal. Paul was just the vessel, but Jesus was the

healer. In this instance, the demons were working for God. When word got out that the sons of Sceva

were beaten up by demons for misappropriating the name of Jesus, “the name of the Lord Jesus was

held in high honor” (v. 17). Those who had practiced sorcery publicly burned their scrolls. What a great

victory for the Way.

The extraordinary success in Ephesus convinced Paul that it was time to go to Jerusalem and then on to

Rome (v. 21). This is a significant turning point in Acts, just as the journey to Jerusalem was significant in

Jesus’ ministry. Paul was wrapping up his third missionary journey and preparing for his greatest

challenge yet: the seat of Roman power. As Paul was preparing to leave, a disturbance arose among

those who made a living off the worship of the goddess Artemis. Earlier, Luke reported that the scrolls

that were burned were worth fifty thousand drachmas—an extraordinary amount of money. Luke

included that detail to emphasize the growing conflict between the Christians and the economy of

Ephesus that was built on the occult and idol worship. We saw the same thing happen in Philippi when

Paul healed the fortune-teller, angering her owners (Acts 16:19). A silversmith named Demetrius incited

a riot when he convinced a crowd that Paul was a threat to their religion (and their economy). This was

not the first time that Paul and his companions had been at the center of trouble. Luke devotes a

considerable amount of narrative space to describing this incident for two reasons. First, it was evidently

a very serious threat to Paul’s life. In fact, Paul used this in his second letter to the Corinthians to

illustrate his theology of suffering (2 Cor. 1:8-10). Second, it was another important case where the local

official upheld the rights of the Christians against the local crowd’s attempt to discredit them. This was

the crowning achievement of Paul’s mission to Ephesus that affirmed God’s blessing and continued

deliverance.

Dark forces can take on many forms. Evil does exist in this world and we must always be on guard

against it. But evil doesn’t always take the form of supernatural demons. It can also take the form of

greed, discrimination, and oppression. Paul experienced all of these in Ephesus and relied on God’s

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power to overcome them. Paul’s ministry in Ephesus also teaches us a lesson about sharing the gospel in

a multi-cultural world. Every culture has its idols that can be obstacles to discipleship. I’m reminded of

the incredible story of the missionaries in 1956 who attempted to make contact with the violent

Waodani tribe of Ecuador. Steve Saint was five years old when his father, Nate, was killed by members

of the tribe. Steve’s aunt, Rachel, continued to live near the Waodani and translated the Bible into their

language. She eventually lived with the tribe and converted them to Christianity. When she died in 1994,

they asked Steve to come live with them and continue his aunt’s work. Miraculously, Steve developed a

deep relationship with Mincaye, the warrior who killed his father. Mincaye eventually adopted Steve as

his own son, completing the circle of forgiveness and reconciliation.14 This tribe gave up their idol of

violence in exchange for the love of God because they were first loved by these amazing missionaries.

Now they are missionaries to other tribes in the area, spreading the gospel of peace. Only the

transforming power of Christ is strong enough to overcome such darkness. That’s what the people of

Ephesus learned, and their witness helped to convert the entire province of Asia.


Acts 19:17-20

“When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and

the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. Many of those who believed now came and openly

confessed what they had done. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and

burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand

drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.”


1. Read Genesis 35:1-5. God’s people have always had to be on guard against the “foreign gods”

and idols of the world. Jacob collected all the idols and magical items from his household and

buried them before going to Bethel to worship the one true God. Similarly, the people of

Ephesus brought their scrolls to a public place and burned them to represent their allegiance to

God. What are the foreign gods and idols that we need to guard against? How could you publicly

disavow yourself of these influences to show your total devotion to God?

2. When Paul arrived in Ephesus he found twelve false disciples. They represented an interesting

(and probably numerous) group within the early church: those who were believers, but whose

knowledge of the gospel was incomplete. Paul asked them a critical question to test their

understanding, as had Philip when he encountered the Ethiopian Eunuch in chapter 8. What

critical question would you ask someone to determine the depth of their commitment to Christ?

14

You can read the full story in Steve Saint’s book End of the Spear. You can also read the story of the original five missionaries in Through the Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliott. There is also a documentary film called Beyond the Gates of Splendor and a feature film called The End of the Spear about this amazing story of how God works through tragedy.

©Cindy Wheatley 69


Read Ephesians 6:10-17. Paul tells us that the way we prepare ourselves to face evil is to “Put on the full

armor of God.” Draw a picture of the armor Paul describes: the belt of truth, the breastplate of

righteousness, the feet of peace, and the shield of faith. Select a scripture verse that represents each

part the armor.

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Finishing the Race

Day 21

Acts 20:1-38

After the riot in Ephesus, Paul wanted to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem. He was concerned for his

safety, however, so he decided to travel by foot through Macedonia instead of taking a direct route. He

met Luke in Philippi (hence the “we” verses resume), where they celebrated the Festival of Unleavened

Bread together. They then rejoined their traveling companions in Troas, where they fellowshipped with

a church that Paul did not plant. In reading this chapter it’s noteworthy that Paul does not address any

non-Christians, as we have heard him do in all other chapters. Here we get a glimpse of how he

addressed fellow Christians and how the early church fellowshipped together.

“On the first day of the week we came together to break bread” (Acts 20:7). This is the first reference in

early Christian writing to the practice of meeting together on Sunday for worship. The term “breaking

bread” can have a dual meaning: celebrating the Lord’s Supper or table fellowship. In Acts 2:42 Luke

says, “They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread

and to prayer.” We assume that in this context “the breaking of bread” means Holy Communion since

it’s part of a description of worship. In 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 and 11:23-26, Paul explains the

significance of the Lord’s Supper, so we can assume that by this time Christians were aware of its

theological significance. In Troas they met at night to celebrate Communion and listen to Paul preach.

They wanted to squeeze in every minute with him they could, so they met long into the night. A young

man named Eutychus fell asleep in a window and fell three stories. Paul rushed to him, threw his arms

around him, and brought him back to life. This story is reminiscent of the healing miracles of Elijah in 1

Kings 17:21 and Elisha in 2 Kings 4:32-34. Both of those healing events were acts of compassion

performed for the sake of the boys’ mothers. Here, too, Paul performs a miracle out of compassion for

these people who welcomed him and devoted themselves to hearing about Jesus. Luke tells us they

were “greatly comforted” (Acts 20:12), both by having the boy alive again and by hearing the word of

God.

The last part of chapter 20 is devoted to Paul’s farewell speech to the elders from Ephesus. This is the

first time in Acts that Paul’s speech sounds like one of his letters. Luke does not give any indication that

he was aware of Paul’s letters, but it is important to understand that during his third missionary journey,

Paul wrote 1 and 2 Corinthians and Romans. Through all of his trials and countless hours of preaching

and teaching, Paul had honed his message. Here Luke shows us a master orator and allows us to hear

the voice of Paul.

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We hear many familiar themes in this brief speech. Paul began by defending himself against some

unspecified accusations, as he did in 1 Thessalonians 2. He emphasized that while the Holy Spirit

compelled him to go to Jerusalem, as it had compelled him to go everywhere he had traveled, it also

warned him that he will face hardships, as he had in almost every city or town. Paul used a familiar

metaphor for his mission—the race: “my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord

Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24).15 He also uses,

for the first time in Acts, the phrase “church of God” (v. 28) referring to the universal church rather than

any specific church.16 In describing the elders as shepherds of the flock and overseers, Paul is using Old

Testament references that would have been unmistakable in their meaning. He warns them about

“savage wolves” that will threaten the flock; “So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I

never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears” (v. 31). The power of the Holy Spirit, God’s

grace, hardships, perseverance, eternal inheritance. These themes run throughout Paul’s letters and

here we get a taste of what they sounded like in person. But Paul’s words sound familiar for another

reason as well.

Paul’s tone and message remind me of the final speeches of Jesus to his disciples as he neared

Jerusalem and the appointed hour of his betrayal and death. Like Jesus, Paul warned them of impending

trouble, but also encouraged them: “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can

build up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (v. 32). He also encouraged

them to follow his example and pour themselves out in ministry because “It is more blessed to give than

to receive” (v. 35). This is the only place in the New Testament where these words appear, although

they are similar to Jesus’ meaning in Luke 6:38: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure,

pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure

you use, it will be measured to you.” No matter how much we give or sacrifice in the service of the

gospel, it will be returned to us in equal measure. This is the age-old message of discipleship that still

rings true today. Two thousand years later, Paul’s words continue to encourage us as they encouraged

those early Christians who were just beginning the race.


Acts 20:36-38

“When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they

embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see

his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.”

15

See Romans 9:3, 1 Cor. 9:24, Galatians 2:2, Galatians 5:7, 2 Timothy 4:7. 16

Paul uses this phrase again in 1 Cor. 10:32, 1 Cor. 11:16, 1 Cor. 11:22, 1 Cor. 15:9, Galatians 1:13, 1 Timothy 3:5, and 1 Timothy 3:15.

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1. Throughout chapter 20 we can see the affection and respect that the Christians had for Paul. He

spent a great deal of time with them, encouraged them in their walk, and built deep

relationships. We can see this in his letters as well; he greets every church like they are his

family. Reflect on the relationship you have with your pastor. Have you experienced this type of

Christian love for leaders in the church? Do they inspire you in your Christian service?

2. Why is it significant that we see the similarities between Paul’s journey to Rome and Jesus’

journey to Jerusalem?


Paul often refers to his mission as a race. How is discipleship like a race? Think about your faith journey.

What metaphor would you use?

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Bound for the Lord

Day 22

Acts 21:1-23:11

Chapter 21 opens with a heart-wrenching scene. After tearing themselves away from the Ephesian

elders, Paul and his companions sailed to Tyre. They “sought out” the disciples there, suggesting that

this was not a church they had planted or knew well. “Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to

Jerusalem” (Acts 21:4). Even though they did not have a deep personal relationship with Paul, their

connection to him was stronger than affection. As they left, they all knelt down and prayed together,

just as he had done with the Ephesians. What a powerful image of church solidarity. This speaks to the

strong bond that held the early Christians together.

After leaving Tyre they continued to travel, stopping with believers along the way for hospitality and

encouragement. They stayed several days with Philip the evangelist, whom we last saw in chapter 8.

Luke mentions an odd fact: “He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied” (Acts 21:9). He provides

no other explanation or context for mentioning this detail. Some commentators have surmised that

perhaps Philip and his daughters provided Luke with some of his source detail for writing Acts during

their stay with them. Ajith Fernando posits that “This may be Luke’s way of pointing out that low-status

people were included in positions of prominence in the church.”17 Prophecy was highly regarded as a

spiritual gift in the early church, so the fact that it would be given to unmarried women, and

acknowledged as credible by the church leaders, is quite a statement on equality. But we saw in Luke’s

gospel that he mentions the prominence of women in Jesus’s inner circle more than any of the other

gospel writers. He continues that trend in Acts. It’s clear that Luke wanted us to notice the role of

women in the early church.

But I think there might be another reason why Luke mentions Philip’s daughters’ gift of prophecy here. It

follows his mentioning that the disciples in Tyre were compelled “through the Spirit” to warn Paul about

going to Jerusalem. Then Luke mentions that Philip’s daughters were prophets. Then Agabus shows up.

We last saw him prophesy a famine in chapter 11 that led to the sending of gifts to Jerusalem by the

church in Antioch. Those gifts were welcomed, while the gifts that Paul would deliver from the Gentile

churches would not be so warmly received. More importantly, Agabus prophesies that Paul will be

bound in Jerusalem and handed over to the authorities (Acts 21:11). Paul’s response to their pleading

him not to go was to say: “I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of

17

Ajith Fernando, Acts: NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999, p.503.

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the Lord Jesus” (v. 13). So what’s going on here? Paul told the Ephesian elders that he was “compelled

by the Spirit” to go to Jerusalem (Acts 20:22). Now twice the Holy Spirit has led others to warn Paul not

to go. Is the Spirit contradicting itself? Is this the work of the Deceiver? The answer lies in Paul’s other

confession to the Ephesians: “I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and

hardships are facing me” (Acts 20:23). Their prophecies are correct; Paul will be imprisoned in

Jerusalem. But he already knows that. His own safety is not his chief concern; it’s to “complete the task

the Lord Jesus has given me” (Acts 20:24).

One of my favorite poems is by the English poet A.E. Housman called “Terence, this is stupid stuff.”18 It’s

a dialogue between a poet, Terence, and a friend who does not understand why he would waste time

writing about reality when escapism is so much more pleasant. “Pretty friendship ‘tis to rhyme/Your

friends to death before their time/Moping melancholy mad: Come, pipe a tune to dance to, lad.”

Terence responds that he would rather be ready for the inevitable trouble than surprised by it:

“Therefore, since the world has still/Much good, but much less good than ill,/And while the sun and

moon endure/Luck’s a chance, but trouble’s sure,/I’d face it as a wise man would,/And train for ill and

not for good.” He then told a story about a king, Mithridates, who took a little poison every day,

knowing that one day someone would try to poison his food. Sure enough, when his would-be assassins

put strychnine in his cup and arsenic in his meat, they “stared aghast to watch him eat.” I think Paul

would have agreed with Terence. Being bound for Christ means being loosed from the chains of sin. This

certainty is what led Paul to write: “No, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who

loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present

nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to

separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our lord” (Rom. 8:37-39).

When Paul arrived in Jerusalem he found that he had a PR problem. Word had spread that he was

teaching Jews to disregard Mosaic law. The gifts that he brought for the Jerusalem church from the

Gentile churches would be tainted by apostasy. James and the elders of the church suggested that he

sponsor four men who were taking a special vow of devotion. This would entail Paul’s going through a

purification ritual and being seen in the temple. But their plan backfired when some Jews from Asia

recognized Paul in the temple and associated him with Trophimus, an Ephesian who had also been

spotted in the temple. In typical hyperbolic fashion, Luke says “The whole city was aroused” (Acts

21:30). A crowd formed that dragged Paul from the temple and shut the gates behind him. Word of this

unrest reached the Romans, who arrested Paul in order to stop the violence. But Paul kept his head and

asked if he could address the crowd.

When he spoke to them in flawless Aramaic, they calmed down and listened. He made a reasoned

argument that he was a Jew, raised and trained in Jerusalem. In the course of persecuting the Christians

he was blinded by a heavenly light and instructed by Jesus to go into Damascus. Paul mentions the

bright light three times. Light was a popular image for the Jews. God had provided light for the Israelites

in the darkness. The seven lamps in the tabernacle/temple were never to be extinguished. David wrote,

“You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns m darkness into light” (2 Sam. 22:29). A light from heaven they

18

A.E. Housman, “Terence, this is stupid stuff.” A Shropshire Lad, 1896.

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would have understood. The crowd was with him until he said that God told him to leave Jerusalem:

“Go, I will send you far away to the Gentiles” (Acts 22:21). Equality between Jews and Gentiles in the

eyes of God was the one thing they could not tolerate. They erupted in violence again.

The Romans must have been perplexed at this point. They could tell that the crowd was incensed by

Paul, but they did not know why. So they did what they knew to do: torture. Then Paul pulled out his

trump card. “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?” (Acts 22:25).

This stopped everything. Stymied, the Roman commander turned Paul over to the Sanhedrin to

determine why the crowd was so angry with him. Standing in front of the Sanhedrin, Paul used his

knowledge about the theology of the Pharisees and Sadducees to create division among them. Once

again, Paul was in the middle of a violent uproar and the Romans had to remove him from the

Sanhedrin. He was taken to the barracks, where he had a vision in which God told him, “Take courage!

As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome” (Acts 23:11). Little did

Paul know that being bound for the Lord would mean four years in prison. He had always escaped these

skirmishes before and moved on to the next mission field. Now the mission field was inside a Roman jail.

This is the part of discipleship that is difficult for us to understand and willingly submit to. Complete

submission to Christ means that we don’t get to choose where and how He uses us. In 1780 John Wesley

wrote a Covenant Prayer that came to be part of a service of rededication on New Year’s Eve. The prayer

is still said by Christians today who want to be reminded of what total service to Christ means.

I am no longer my own, but thine.

Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.

Put me to doing, put me to suffering.

Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,

Exalted for thee or brought low for thee.

Let me be full, let me be empty.

Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and heartily yield all things

To thy pleasure and disposal.

And now, o glorious and blessed God,

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

Thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it.

And the covenant which I have made on earth,

Let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.

This is a prayer of complete submission to the will of God. In the words of John the Baptist: “He must

become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30). This is the process of sanctification that we witness in

Paul’s life and that we subscribe to every time we recite the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy kingdom come, thy will

be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

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Acts 21:12-14

“When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go to Jerusalem. Then Paul

answered, ‘Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to

die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’ When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said,

‘The Lord’s will be done.’”


1. What does it really mean to pray “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done?” We might not be

required to go to prison, but are there other ways that we might be bound for Jesus?

2. Paul went to Jerusalem despite the prophecies and warnings of others, in the full knowledge

that he would experience hardships there. Have you ever done something even though you

knew it would be difficult? What strengthened you during that time? Read Philippians 4:11-13.

What was Paul’s secret to being “content whatever the circumstances”?


Pray Wesley’s Covenant Prayer every morning for one week. How do these words affect the course of

your day? How do they influence your thoughts and actions? Record this experience in your journal.

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Blameless

Day 23

Acts 23:12-25:12

Hatred is a powerful emotion. A group of Jews so hated Paul that they took a vow of fasting until they

killed him. Jesus foretold that this would happen. He warned the Pharisees and teachers of the law:

“Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify;

others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. And so upon you will come all

the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of the righteous Abel to the blood of

Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I tell you, all

this will come on this generation” (Matt. 23:34-36). This was certainly true of Stephen, and now they

had their sights set on Paul. The plot to kill Paul was actually an ancient play being reenacted in which

the people of God were persecuting God’s messenger. For Luke this epic battle was so important that he

devoted the last 8 chapters of Acts to its unfolding.

In the face of such hatred, there is only one righteous response we can have: to remain blameless. In

Genesis 17:1 God told Abraham, “I am God almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.” Both

Noah and Job were described as “blameless.” In his last great psalm of praise, David described himself as

blameless:

For I have kept the ways of the Lord;

I am not guilty of turning from my God.

All his laws are before me;

I have not turned away from his decrees.

I have been blameless before him

And have kept myself from sin.

The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,

According to my cleanness in his sight. (2 Sam. 22:22-25)

At each turn, Luke shows that Paul was blameless. His only real indiscretion was when he showed

disrespect to Ananias the high priest (Acts 23:3) and caused a furor in the Sanhedrin over the issue of

resurrection. But these were theological issues, not legal ones. The enormity of the case against Paul

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and the lengths to which both sides went speak of a greater battle than one man’s guilt. In the epic

struggle over Paul between the Romans and the Jews, it was really Christianity that was on trial.

The story takes an interesting turn when Paul’s nephew learns of the plot to kill Paul during a transfer

and tells Paul about it. Paul sends him to speak to the Roman commander, who arranges to have Paul

transferred to Caesarea. At this point the Romans are keeping Paul imprisoned for his own safety and to

keep peace with the Jews. In his letter to Governor Felix, the commander admits Paul’s innocence: “I

found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there was no charge against him

that deserved death or imprisonment” (Acts 23:29). Under the cloak of darkness, and with 200 soldiers

guarding him, Paul leaves Jerusalem for Herod’s Palace in Caesarea, where he will spend the next two

years.

In Caesarea Paul is one step closer to Rome—his desired destination. To him this is a victory, not a

defeat. He has the ear of the Governor and delivers a masterful defense in front of the high priest and

his cronies. Paul points to the facts of his conduct in Jerusalem (brought gifts for the poor, ceremonially

clean, absent accusers) and the purity of his beliefs (worships the God of their ancestors, believes the

Law and the Prophets). “I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man” (Acts 24:16).

In the absence of any compelling evidence, Felix does what weak leaders do—he delays passing

judgment until it becomes someone else’s problem.

Two years and three days later, the chief priests were in front of Festus, Felix’s successor, making their

case against Paul. Their fervor to kill him was as strong as ever, and they asked that he be transferred to

Jerusalem where they could secretly ambush him. But Festus hears Paul’s case in Caesarea, where the

Jews repeat their unfounded charges and Paul reasserts his innocence. They have reached an impasse.

Festus asks if Paul would return to Jerusalem for trial, but Paul exercises his right of citizenship to be

heard in Caesar’s court. “I appeal to Caesar!” (Acts 25:11). Paul spoke the magic words that earned him

a trip to Rome.

In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. related his mission for civil rights to

Paul’s “gospel of freedom.” He was responding to accusations that he was getting involved in matters

that weren’t his concern. “Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and

states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice

anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied

in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we

afford to live with the narrow, provincial ‘outside agitator’ idea. Anyone who lives inside the United

States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.” Likewise, Paul could have

stayed in Macedonia where he was beloved, but he chose to travel to Jerusalem for the advancement of

all Christianity. King, like Paul, recognized that there is a higher moral law that supersedes human law

and is worth fighting—and dying— for. But King advocated nonviolent means of disobedience. He took

the higher moral ground no matter what his opposition resorted to. He, too, remained blameless. King

was also a master orator, like Paul, who used his gift of speech to command a larger stage. King went to

Birmingham, the heart of the Deep South, and Paul went to Rome, the heart of the Empire, at great

©Cindy Wheatley 79

personal risk but with a strong sense of moral authority. That is what “one nation under God” really

means.


Acts 24:14-16

“I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe

everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, and I have the same

hope in God as these men themselves have, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and

the wicked. So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.”


1. Christians in America do not face oppression like the early church, but we do face other types of

battles, political and cultural. What can we do to remain blameless “before God and man”?

2. Do you agree with Rev. King that, “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality”?

What does that mean to us as Christians today? Where must we spread the “gospel of freedom”

in our world?


What issues of social justice has God put on your heart? As a Christian, what is your responsibility to

advocate for the rights of others? What can you do in your community, or through Christian agencies, to

make a difference?

©Cindy Wheatley 80

Paul’s Last Defense

Day 24

Acts 25:13-26:32

Paul’s last defense before leaving Palestine would be before a king. God had told Ananias that he had

chosen Saul to “proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel” (Acts

9:15). Only Agrippa was not, technically, a Gentile. Herod Agrippa II was the great grandson of Herod the

Great, the King of the Jews. He held the vestments of the Jewish High Priest and had the right to appoint

them. So, Agrippa had a foot in both camps. Paul addresses him like a fellow Jew, as someone who is

knowledgeable about Jewish scriptures. Where Festus could not find any legal reason why Paul should

be imprisoned, Agrippa could find no theological reason. Paul’s last defense would put a final seal on his

blamelessness.

We can see from the dialogue between Festus and Agrippa that Festus did not believe that Paul was

guilty of any crime under Roman law. “Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their

own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive” (Acts 25:19). Festus

brought up the case to seek Agrippa’s counsel as someone familiar with Jewish law. Instead, Agrippa

wants to hear Paul’s defense first hand. The following day, Agrippa and his sister, Bernice, entered the

room “with great pomp,” accompanied by military officers and prominent citizens indicating their high

stature. Festus explained that the purpose of the proceeding was to determine what charges to bring

against Paul so that he would not look foolish for sending him to the Emperor to be judged.

The stage was set for Paul. Knowing his audience, Paul addressed King Agrippa as a fellow Jew, “because

you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies” (Acts 26:3). One of Paul’s great

gifts was his ability to tailor his message to his audience. In this defense, he argued that his actions were

a natural consequence of his Jewish faith—not an aberration. His main argument was:

The Jews (his accusers) know (“and can testify”) that he was raised and trained as a strict Jew.

It is because of his belief in God’s promises to Israel that he is on trial. It is the logical conclusion

to God’s plan for the 12 tribes.

He, like them, thought that Jesus’ resurrection was a threat to the Jewish faith. He persecuted

“the Lord’s people” and “tried to force them to blaspheme.”

On the road to Damascus he encountered the living Christ who appeared in a bright light and

commissioned Paul to “open their eyes.”

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Paul fulfilled the same commission that Jesus had given to the other disciples in Acts 1:8:“First

to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles”

(Acts 26:20).

Everything Paul preached was in keeping with Jewish scripture and prophecy: “that the Messiah

would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own

people and to the Gentiles” (v. 23).

Then Paul asks the audacious question: “King Agrippa, do you believe in the prophets? I know you do”

(v. 27). Even though the king brushes off Paul’s attempt to evangelize him, his pronouncement of Paul’s

innocence on theological grounds speaks volumes. His final words are bitter sweet: “This man could

have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar” (Acts 26:32). This is the second pronouncement of

Paul’s innocence, reminiscent of Pontius Pilate’s declaration of Jesus’ innocence: “You brought me this

man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have

found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can

see, he has done nothing to deserve death” (Luke 23:14-15). Both Jesus and Paul were blameless before

the law, but their suffering served a higher purpose. Jesus had to die for the sins of the world, and Paul

had to go to Rome to claim the world’s greatest stage for the gospel. God was clearly in charge.


Acts 26:16-18

“Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness

of what you have seen and will see of me. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles.

I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power

of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are

sanctified by me.”


1. Paul’s defense before King Agrippa seems almost pointless in the course of the story. He’s

already been cleared to go to Rome by Festus. Considering the parallels with Jesus’ trial, and the

commissioning that he received during his conversion experience, why was it important for Luke

to include this scene?

2. Each time that Paul recounts his Damascus road experience, his description of the bright light

gets stronger. Read John 1:1-5 and consider the theological significance of this light.


Imagine that you are on trial and the only charge is that you have been faithful to your Christian beliefs.

What would be your defense?

©Cindy Wheatley 82

Power Made Perfect in Weakness

Day 25

Acts 27:1-28:31

I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more

severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from

the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I

was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day

in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from

rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from

Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in

danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone

without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without

food; I have been cold and naked. (2 Corinthians 11:23-27)

In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul recounts a laundry list of suffering. He goes on to explain: “I

delight in my weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak,

then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10). He can make this audacious claim because the Lord told him, “My grace

is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). In the final two chapters of

Acts, we witness this grace in Paul’s life as he moves from Caesarea to Rome, undergoing a shipwreck

and house arrest.

Luke was clearly an eyewitness to Paul’s journey to Rome. Not only does he resume using “we,” but he

also provides amazing details of the voyage. Throughout the difficult journey, Paul remained calm and

demonstrated that the Holy Spirit was with him. He warned them not to sail, but they disregarded his

prophecy. During the worst of the storm, Paul shared with the crew that an angel told him that no lives

would be lost (Acts 27:21-26). Paul continued to show leadership, urging them to cut loose the lifeboats

and eat. The way Luke describes Paul’s blessing of the bread makes it sound like they celebrated

communion: “After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then

he broke it and began to eat. They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves” (Acts 27:35-36).

After they shipwrecked, Paul took charge of building a fire. When he was bitten by a snake and showed

no ill effect, the locals thought he was a god (Acts 28:6). The final sign of God’s grace in Paul comes

when he heals the father of the chief official. Even in hardship, Paul witnessed to the power of the

gospel.

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When they reached Rome, they were first greeted by a group of Christians. This was Paul’s first trip to

Rome, though he had written to them several years before expressing his desire to visit them (Romans

1:13). Obviously, the feeling was mutual. Paul was “encouraged” by their hospitality. He was also

allowed to live by himself in Rome, under guard. This provided him with a place to host people. The first

ones he contacted were the Jews, in keeping with his custom. He wanted to mend bridges with them in

case they had heard negative things about Paul’s intentions from Jerusalem. Paul shared his message

with them and, as in other places, “Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not

believe” (Acts 28:24). Paul spent the next two years preaching the gospel to “all who came to see him.”

As he wrote to Timothy in his second letter, “This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point

of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained” (2 Tim. 2:8-9). Though his body was

constrained, his spirit was not. “He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus

Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!” (Acts 28:31). Luke ends on a positive note, not

focused on the imprisonment of Paul but on the freedom of the gospel message. He left Acts open-

ended, as if to suggest that God’s story is never finished. We are still writing the book of Acts today as

we continue the mission of the apostles to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ “to the ends of the earth.”

©Cindy Wheatley 84

Summary

The book of Acts covers roughly the first 30 years in the life of the early church. In that short time it

grew from a small Jewish sect into a dominant force in Palestine, Asia, Macedonia, Greece, and Italy. As

disciples moved out of Jerusalem, empowered by the Holy Spirit, the seeds they planted grew into a

mighty harvest. Luke provides us with a panoramic view of God’s plan from the birth of Christ to the

birth and infancy of His church. From the spirit-filled speeches of Peter to the miraculous conversion of

Saul, Luke leaves no doubt that Jesus Christ is still alive and active in the world. He also counters Jewish

skepticism that salvation is open to Gentiles. We are the beneficiaries of the boldness and courage of

the early apostles to push the boundaries of Jewish law and follow the Lord’s guidance. Let’s summarize

the legacy of Acts.

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in

Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Before he ascended into

heaven, Jesus gave his disciples one last commission: to be his witnesses throughout the world.

But they could not accomplish this without the power of the Holy Spirit, which came to them on

Pentecost. The Gentiles had their own version of Pentecost when Peter preached to them in

Cornelius’ home. When we devote our lives to Christ, we have our own personal Pentecost

when we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and become witnesses to the transformative power

of the gospel.

“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was

their own, but they shared everything they had.” The early church serves as a model of Christian

community. They were unified by the love of Christ and a common purpose. They worshipped

together and served together. These believers were so different that the people of Antioch gave

them their own name: Christians. Can people today tell Christians from non-Christians by our

actions?

“On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem and all except the

apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.” The tragedy of Stephen’s martyrdom

caused the disciples to scatter, spreading the gospel as they went. God used ordinary men and

women to push beyond traditional Jewish boundaries to reach the Gentiles and start vibrant

churches. These evangelists serve as role models for us to spread the gospel wherever we are

and to whomever we encounter. Like Paul, we are to proclaim the gospel “with all boldness and

without hindrance!”

“Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and

to the people of Israel.” No one was more surprised than Saul of Tarsus that he was chosen by

Jesus to carry his message of salvation to the Gentiles. God used this man of great faith and

fervor to save the very people he was trying to destroy. Saul’s conversion stands as one of the

great witnesses that God has a plan and will use anyone and everyone to carry out his plan.

Saul/Paul was the Moses of the New Testament, called by God in a spectacular way to lead the

Gentiles from the darkness into the light.

©Cindy Wheatley 85

“Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” Peter couldn’t believe his eyes and

ears when a heavenly vision delivered this message. Gentiles did not have to abide by Jewish

law to be welcome in God’s kingdom. People were not meant to be divided by labels, but rather

united by the love of Christ. “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads

to life.” God’s grace is available to all. Even today we must examine our own attitudes towards

people or groups we consider “unclean” and not deserving of God’s grace. If God invites them

to the party, who are we to be bouncers at the door?

“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to

me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are

facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and

complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s

grace.” Paul’s journey through Acts reminds us of Jesus’ journey through the gospels. Both

were compelled by a strong sense of purpose to complete the task they had been given, despite

the hardships and persecution they experienced. Over and over in his letters, Paul speaks about

his suffering for the gospel as a gift. In the midst of his troubles and trials, God sent angels to

encourage and strengthen him. No one ever said that discipleship would be easy. While we

won’t experience the level of persecution that Paul endured, we can take comfort in the

knowledge that when we experience difficult times, the Holy Spirit is with us. We are to remain

faithful and “blameless” and let God be in control of our lives. Our task is to be obedient to the

call that God has placed on each of us, to “finish the race” to his glory.

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