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Dr. Manny Arango
Hey, Bible nerds. This is Dr. Manny Arango and I'm your host for the Bible department podcast powered by Arma. This podcast follows a Bible reading plan we created to help you read the entire Bible in a year. You can head to the show notes or thebibledepartment.com to download our reading plan and join the Journey family. Hey, welcome to Acts chapter 15 through 18. We're going to cover chapters 15, 16, 17 and 18 today. That is today's reading. Hey, if you haven't done the reading for the day, this a great moment to pause. I'm not going to go anywhere. I'll be right here. Just pause the podcast episode and do the reading. I'm not going to do like an in depth teaching on every single chapter. This is definitely a 30,000 foot view of these chapters for the day. So you want to make sure that you do the reading and use whatever translation of the Bible you enjoy reading. I'm not a stickler on translations. Use whatever translation you want. Let's dive into Acts chapter 15. All right, Acts chapter 15 starts and we got drama. Okay, verse one. Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch. Remember, Antioch is the church where Christians are first called Christians. This is the church that sends out Paul and Barnabas. This is kind of like Paul's hub in Antioch. Unless you are. Here's what they're teaching. They come down to Antioch and they're teaching. Unless you are circumcised according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved. Okay, so people from Judea are coming to Antioch and based on what they're saying, we can deduce these are probably Pharisees. These are Pharisees who believe in Jesus. Okay, so these are Jewish believers. These are Pharisaical believers who are now coming to Antioch and confusing the Christians. So Paul and Barnabas are appointed with some other believers to go to Jerusalem and see the apostles and elders about this question. Here's one thing that is really clear throughout the Book of Acts and the New Testament, okay? That a gathering doesn't make a church. What we're going to see here is that a gathering of Christians doesn't just make a church. So a Bible study is not a church. A Maverick City music concert is not a church. Just be you and your Christian buddies at Waffle House. It's not church. Even if you guys all go to the same church, like, that's not church. What we're going to see here is that Paul and Barnabas are going to go to Jerusalem. They're going to actually, like, talk through this. Because church isn't just a gathering. Church is a governing structure where there's accountability and where there's hierarchy and where there are, like, roles. And so Paul and Barnabas aren't like lone rangers out in Antioch doing their own thing. No, they. They believe in the covering. They believe in the leadership of this church in Jerusalem. So they go to Jerusalem and this is like a big deal. Acts chapter 15 cements a decision that the apostles make. And I'm going to actually read you the letter from the Jerusalem Council. It can be found in verse 24 to 29 of Acts chapter 15. This is the letter that James sends back with Paul and Barnabas to the church of Antioch. We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul 20, verse 26. Men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus. Therefore, we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements. You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell. So you know how we get letters in the New Testament, like Ephesians or Galatians, or 1st and 2nd Corinthians or Titus or Philemon or all types of letters? Well, this is a letter. This is actually a letter, a really, really short letter. And it's enclosed within the greater book of the book of Acts. And so this is correspondence between James, who is seen as the leader of the church in Jerusalem, the elders, the apostles in Jerusalem. And they're sending a letter back to Antioch letting them know a couple of things. Number one, you don't need to become Jewish in order to become Christian. This is a massive, massive decision. Because had they decided otherwise, then we'd have a lot less Christians. Okay? If there's a requirement that all. All the new converts, you know, you come down, you accept Jesus at the altar, and then we have, like, a circumcision party, like, in the back, like, there would be way less converts, right? Baptism, easy pill to swallow. Circumcision, tough pill to swallow, right? So we'd have way less Gentiles if that was a decision. And the Church, the early Church, they're in this, like, valley of decision. Like is the church going to be Jewish or is the church going to have more of a gentile flavor to it? And this decision really sets the course, sets the church on a trajectory that we have. We're going to open the floodgates for gentiles. But there's a couple of things that Jewish brothers and sisters are requesting. These things are not necessary for salvation. They're not saying that in order to be a Christian you need to abstain from food, sacrifice to idols, from blood, meat of strangled animals and sexual immorality. No, they're saying if you love us as your Jewish brothers and sisters, then you know, if we go out to eat together, like don't order the pork shoulder, you know what I'm saying? Like just don't order pork chops if you're out with your Jewish friend. Also these four things, food sacrificed to idols, blood the meat, strangled animals, and sexual immorality are rampant in gentile culture, in Greco Roman culture. And all four of these elements can be found in pagan worship. So also what Jewish Christians are saying is, hey, abstaining from this stuff is just like wise. Because if you're going to follow Jesus and your allegiance is switching from whatever pagan religious association you've had to following Jesus, then these are some things that you may not want to do anyway. So the letter goes back to Antioch and there's peace. Okay, now there's a disagreement between Paul and Barnabas. Paul and Barnabas are about to go on their second missionary journey. They've already gone on a missionary journey and they're going to start their second missionary journey. This is, it's also really hard to distinguish when the second missionary journey ends and when the third one begins. So I'm actually going to give you the verses for when they start and end. The second missionary journey begins in chapter 16, verse 23, and then it ends in verse chapter 18, verse 22. The third missionary journey picks up in chapter 18, verse 23, so no breaks, okay? And then goes to chapter 20, verse 38. So the second missionary journey starts and it was Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey. But there's drama, okay? Barnabas has a cousin and his cousin John. Mark deserted Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey. Barnabas wants to bring John Mark again. And Paul is like, uhuh bro, I don't care if he your cousin, he can't go with us. And there's a sharp disagreement and there's actually like, this is probably a point of like this is a negative, okay? This is not Good, But God can take negatives and turn them into positives. So here's what happens. Barnabas and his cousin John Mark actually go on a missionary journey to Cyprus. And Paul grabs a new guy named Silas and they go to Syria and Cilicia. Now here's the beauty of how God weaves all things together for his good. What would have just been one missionary journey now turns into two missionary journeys, which is more people hearing the Gospel.
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Arma Team
What if I told you that what you're learning in this video was just the tip of the iceberg? The Bible department is actually powered by arma. What is arma? I'm so glad you asked. ARMA is an online subscription based platform that we designed to help people, everyday people, learn the Bible for themselves. We started ARMA so that anybody, anywhere could have access to to trustworthy and entertaining Bible and theology content. In addition to this podcast, we have over 60 courses on individual books of the Bible, on theology topics, and on some hot topics like homosexuality, tithing and women in ministry. But really, ARMA is a community, a community of people that I've gotten to know. A community where thousands of people are currently finding family, asking questions and nerding out on the Bible together. If you want a community to read the Bible with you this year, or if you want to dive into some deeper theological content, or if you want more exclusive access to me and the entire armor team, how about you go to thebibledepartment.com I'll be sure to post.
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Dr. Manny Arango
The link in the description of this video.
- [09:48]
Arma Team
Let's make this your year to become a Bible.
- [09:54]
Dr. Manny Arango
Missionary journey starts and they run into a guy named Timothy. This is chapter 16. 3. This is a great story because in the chapter before this, in chapter 15, there's this massive upheaval about whether or not you need to be circumcised, right? And Paul is of the mind. You definitely don't need to be circumcised. If you read the letter that Paul writes to the Galatians, he's like, how dare you be circumcised? I wish that these people who are preaching circumcision would go the whole way and chop their whole member off. Okay, this is Paul. Paul's got some, some like pretty gangster remarks for people who are promoting circumcision. But look what happens in chapter 16, verse 3. Paul wanted to take Timothy along on the journey. So he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. Why in the world. Does Paul seem to advocate for people not being circumcised, but then he circumcises Timothy? Well, because one size fits all rules never work. This is where, like, if there's an ax I have to grind with people who read the Bible, it's this, that the, the characters in the Bible are responding to context. To one church, Paul could say one thing, and to another church, Paul could say a different thing. That doesn't mean that Paul's confused or schizophrenic. That means he's a pastor dealing with real people, with real circumstances. And me, I've pastored a lot of people, and I don't give one size fits all advice. Why does Paul tell Timothy he needs to be circumcised? Because Paul believes in being all things to all men. And if Timothy is going to have authority to reach Jewish believers and Jewish people, then he needs to be circumcised. This is a lot like alcohol, right? In most ministry settings that I've led, I've said to leaders, hey, I don't want you to consume alcohol. And the number one question that people ask me is this. Well, is drinking alcohol a sin? And I go, no, it's not a sin, but I still don't want you to do it. It doesn't need to be a sin in order for us to abstain from doing it. I think a lot of times we get into this habit of thinking, if I, if I'm not going to do it, then that means it, it's got to be a sin for me to practice abstinence. And it's like, no, it doesn't need to be a sin for me to practice abstinence. I could practice abstinence simply because it's not wise to do. And so being uncircumcised in this situation is simply not wise. It doesn't mean that Timothy is in sin if he doesn't get circumcised. But, but Paul is going to advocate that he would remove any stumbling block that would hinder someone from hearing the gospel and, and having faith in the messenger of the gospel and actually coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. So Timothy gets circumcised. You know, the text kind of seems to say that Paul circumcised Timothy, which is awkward. I don't know if Paul, like, took Timothy to go get circumcised. Like, hey, man, like, I don't, you know. Anyway, details, details. All right, we now get to the founding of the Church of Philippi. We get the conversion of Lydia and then we get Paul and Silas in prison. There's a jailer. There's a famous story about midnight. Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. And there's a jailer who is about to commit suicide. And he knows that if the prisoners escape, that that's his life. And so Paul and Silas convince all these prisoners to there. The jailer gives his whole life to Jesus. And this is the foundation of the Philippian Church. This is all of chapter 16. We get to chapter 17 and we get a couple of cities like on this next leg of the missionary journey. They first go to Thessalonica, then Berea, then Athens. There's a famous moment with Paul in Athens where he's at the Areopagus, that means Mars Hill. And he's talking to man, a bunch of like, philosophers in Athens. And his preaching style is completely different than it has been. He quotes Greco Roman philosophers and poets and a couple of people actually give their life to the Lord. It says this at the end of chapter 17. This is verse 34. Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysus, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris and a number of others. A lot of people would say that Paul failed here in Athens and therefore goes to Corinth. In chapter 18. We're going to see Paul and Corinth. And so when Paul gets to Corinth, there's this famous line in the book of Corinthians that says, when I came to you, I didn't come to you with words of eloquence or as an order. But I knew nothing. I emptied myself of everything that I knew and I just preached Christ crucified. Now, there is a stark difference between Paul's preaching style in Athens and Paul's preaching style in Corinth. But I don't think it's because Paul failed in Athens. Again, I think that Paul has different tools in his tool belt. And if he got. If he has a nail, he pulls out a hammer. And if he's got a screw, he pulls out a screwdriver. He's got multiple tools in his two belt. So when he gets to Corinth, he doesn't preach in the same style, but he does meet up with Aquilla and Priscilla. And this begins to form a partnership between these three. They're all tent makers and they begin to do really, really effective ministry in Corinth. They also then meet a guy by the name of Apollos. And Apollos becomes really, really effective in ministry. And one of the things that I love about the Book of Acts and one of the things that I actually love about reading, like the very end of Paul's letters, you get all these names and you begin to realize that there's this network of relationships that is actually at the foundation of the church, the early church, that the early church all obviously is an institution. But behind institutions are real people. There's an institution called the Church that's in Jerusalem, but it's real people. It's James, it's Peter, it's John. It's people that Paul and Silas and Barnabas and the rest of these guys have real relationships with. And the relationships with Priscilla and Aquila and Apollos are going to be relationships that bear a lot of fruit. Corinth is going to be someplace where Paul stays for a really, really, really long time. And in chapter 18, one last thing that I want to point out is that Paul starts preaching at the synagogue. And after the Jews are going to not want to hear Paul's message, he essentially says, you know what? From now on, I'm going to preach to the Gentiles. And so this mission, Acts chapter 1 8, remembers our thesis statement for the Book of Acts, that the Gospel would start in Jerusalem, it would go to Judea and Samaria, and then eventually to the ends of the earth. And we're seeing that progress from something that starts as a Jewish sect that's becoming more and more gentile. And Paul is someone who's bringing it to the ends of the earth. And you can see that happening in a city like Corinth. It's a microcosm of that entire road map where he starts at the synagogue with Jews, and then immediately the message broadens and bronze and broadens. Same thing happens in Philippi. He starts with Jews and then goes and reaches Gentiles. All right. Our timeless truth for the day is that Paul is dead bent on reaching all people. So to be all things to all men. And this is why Paul is flexible in ministry, is why he asked Timothy to get circumcised. And I think that being all things to all men would actually cause us to be better Christians in the modern age. I'll see you right here tomorrow as we go through Acts chapter 19 to 23. I'm proud of you for this journey that you're on, to go through the entire Bible this year. I'll be right here tomorrow, and I'll see you. As we journey through the Bible Peace. Thank you so much for joining me on the Bible Department podcast. If this episode was helpful, it would mean the world to me if you'd give us a follow rate and review the show. And don't forget to share. You can learn more about the show@thebibledepartment.com and find us on Instagram hebible department if you want to dive deeper into the Bible, you can get free access to our library of courses@thebibledepartment.com. we'll see you back here tomorrow.