SS07-22-07.
STUDY THEME: LET’S DO CHURCH RIGHT: SS07-22-07.
SHARING CHRIST IN ALL PLACES: ACTS 13: 1-14:28
PLEASE OPEN YOUR BIBLE TO ACTS 13.
The life question in today’s lesson is “What does God want us to do with the gospel?
The Biblical Truth is that God calls local churches to be actively involved in the birth and growth of other churches.
Several years ago Immanuel Baptist Church was responsible for the beginning of a church called “Temple Baptist Church” and another called “Sharon Baptist Church. Today these are both meeting in new sanctuaries with a great congregation of Christian people and good Bible preaching pastors.
If you drive around in Shawnee you will find many churches of varied faiths. Most small communities will usually have two or three churches. Someone may ask, “Do we really need another church? Why don’t we concentrate on growing those we have? Church growth is important, but so are new starts. It ought not to be either/or but both/and situation. Seek to see your church grow, and proclaim the gospel that is seed for new churches. New church starts reach new groups of people, regardless of whether the churches define themselves by ethnicity,
language, culture or location. Whether going across town or across the world, mission opportunities exist for all believers.
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE LESSON:
The Focal Verses in this lesson come from this larger background passage in Acts 13-14. Under the leadership of the Spirit, the Antioch church sent Barnabas and Saul as missionaries in Acts 13: 1-3. Accompanied by John Mark, they went to Cyprus, where a Roman proconsul was converted. They landed at Perga in Asia Minor, and John Mark went home.
When they arrived in Antioch of Pisidia, Paul preached in the Jewish synagogue. At first the response was positive, but opposition soon appeared, and the missionaries were forced to flee. They followed the same approach in Iconium with the same responses. At Lystra, the two missionaries were first thought to be gods. Enemies stoned Paul and left him for dead, but he revived. They went to Derbe, where they had a large number of converts: then they headed back through the towns where they had been rejected; they encouraged the churches in each place and chose leaders. They returned to Antioch and reported on their work.
1. PLEASE READ ACTS. 13: 1-3.
We now come in our study to the second division of the Acts which deals with the great work of world evangelization. Heretofore we have been largely occupied with the work in Judea, Samaria, and in the rest of Palestine. Now we see the gospel reaching out to the ends of the earth. This chapter 13 brings before us an altogether new start in Christian missionary effort. It is, in fact, really the beginning of Christian missions, in the true sense.
It was not at Jerusalem that the vision of world conquest was manifested but in Antioch of Syria, a Gentile city north of Palestine, where as we have already seen, certain traveling Jews ventured somewhat timidly at first, then with greater boldness, to preach the gospel to the Greek-speaking population of that idolatrous city. As a result, many of these heathen Gentiles were brought to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the first Gentile church was established.
When the brethren at Jerusalem heard of this, you will recall they sent Barnabas to find out more about it. When Barnabas arrived and found the grace of God so marvelously evidenced, he remained a long time, teaching, and preaching among these Gentiles. Then feeling that his friend Saul of Tarsus could do more for them, he went to Tarsus to seek him and persuade him to return t0 Antioch, where they abode some time preaching a teaching the people.
Later, when a famine broke out in Judea, Saul and Barnabas went up to Jerusalem, to bring alms to these Christians, showing the bond that now had been forged between the believing Jews and the believing people of Antioch.
Finally, the crisis came in regard to world missions, and we read in the earlier verses of this thirteenth chapter how God placed upon His servants’ hearts the responsibility of sending out the gospel to the whole world.
“Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers.” An excellently cared-for church! We do not see anything in the N.T. of that which is so common today: one lone minister set over a congregation; but we find the Spirit of God giving gifts as it pleased Him.
In one congregation there might be a number of men ministering the Word, and that without jealousy one of another, each seeking to minister the gift God had given him. In this church
we find five ministering the Word.
First of all, there is Barnabas, the Levite, who had sold all his property and put everything he had into the work of the Lord. He was seeking now to minister to the people at Antioch.
Then “Simeon that was called Niger.” We wish we knew more about him. He is the one outstanding man in the N.T. who comes before us as a servant of God from the Negro race; Simon the black man.
The grace of God was manifested richly in this church. There was no race prejudice. People of different color of skin and of different religious backgrounds were found happily worshipping together; Jews, Gentiles, people of various races.
This is all we read of Simeon, yet it is enough to tell us that the grace of God was working in a mighty way, breaking down carnal prejudice.
Then we read of Lucius of Cyrene. The name is probably Gentile, evidence already that God had begun to gift these Gentile believers in a special way.
And then Manaen (Man-uh-en). We have no way of ascertaining his back-ground, but we know that he was brought up with Herod the tetrarch, who was part Samaritan, and part Idumean.
Though nurtured in the royal court, in all the corruption of those days, he is seen occupying much higher honor than Herod Antipas, who later beheaded John the Baptist and mocked Jesus. Manaen was probably Luke’s source for knowledge of the notorious Herodian family.
Last of all we have Saul, the former persecuter, a Pharisee of the Pharisees, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, who tried to root Christianity out of the earth, but had been so marvelously converted
that now he sought to minister to the Lord, as he preached the faith he had once endeavored to destroy.
As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, “Separate Me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.” We do not know just how the Holy Spirit revealed His will: whether it was a deep impression on the members of the church.
But certainly they began to talk about it and said, “These men ought to reach and go to the regions beyond. God has given us abundant witness here, and now we should think of those who have never heard the gospel story.” In either event, the Spirit of God revealed His mind.
He still speaks to men, impressing them with the deep need of the lost world. The history of missions is a story of the miraculous working of the Spirit of God down through the centuries.
One can think of many whose names will shine brightly before the judgment seat of Christ---men who were used in a large way at home; others who were successful business men, until the Spirit of God put upon their hearts a great sense of the need of a lost world and their responsibility to carry the message of Christ to those still in idolatry and pagan darkness.
Those spiritually impressed men and women felt they could not go on in the ordinary walk of life but must give their talents to reach those who had never heard the name of Christ.
So they went out to the ends of the earth carrying the gospel message of the grace of God.
It was so here in the beginning, as the Holy Spirit said, “I want Barnabas and Saul for a special ministry. I want them to go out into the world with the message of salvation.” The church came together about it. There was nothing unusual. They fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, and sent them away.
Today we are in the 200th anniversary of a prayer meeting that took place in a haystack in Williamstown, Massachusetts. This seemingly insignificant prayer meeting marked the beginning of the modern missionary movement in America.
As those gathered in that meadow for prayer went off to do missions, they also spurred others on to spread the gospel of Christ. Now, 200 years later, mission work continues around the globe, both through full-time missionaries and those who serve on short-term projects. In Southern Baptist efforts alone, over 5,000 people are reaching into almost 1,200 people groups. That’s encouraging, but there is must still to do. Today’s study will challenge us to consider how we, too, can follow the example of Paul, Barnabas and the hosts of missionaries who have gone before us in spreading the gospel.
The church at Antioch was an evangelistic church. It was started when some unnamed believers were scattered from Jerusalem by persecution. They began to witness to Gentiles as well as Jews, and some believed. Thus it was an inclusive church. The Jerusalem church sent Barnabas, and he encouraged them: so it was an encouraging church. Barnabas sent for Saul of Tarsus and the two of them taught the church; thus it was a teaching church.
The church sent help to the poor believers in Judea: thus it was a giving, ministering church. The church followed the Spirit’s guidance and sent out Barnabas and Saul as missionaries. Thus they were a missionary church.
The laying on of hands took many different forms in scripture. In the O.T. hands would be laid on a sacrificial animal, transferring the sin of the people to the animal. Blessings were transferred by the laying on hands. Through the laying on of hands, Moses transferred some of his authority to Joshua In the Gospels, Jesus laid hands on people in healing, and He blessed the children by laying His hands on them. The common element in these usages is the symbolic transfer from one person to another. In Acts 6:1-7 and 13:3 the laying on of hands was a commissioning, a transfer of authority to those individuals to carry out the tasks for which they were being commissioned.
Up to this point in Acts, the word church has been used only of believers in the Jerusalem congregation. The word refers to a local congregation of believers, although the word sometimes points to all believers. The plural “churches” is used in Acts 15:41 and elsewhere.
The church at Antioch had some distinctives that set it apart form the Jerusalem church. Based on Acts 13: 1-3 we learn the church at Antioch was the first truly missionary church. They crossed barriers to evangelize Gentiles in their city, and they sent missionaries to cross that and other barriers. “For the first time a local Christian church was led to see the need for a witness beyond them to the larger world and commissioned missionaries to carry out that task.
Earlier in Acts 11, Luke wrote of the evangelistic work of the church in Antioch among the Gentiles in their city. Their work among the Gentiles had such a strong effect that “a large number who believed turned to the Lord” and the church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to get a report. Barnabas was encouraged by the work of God in that city that he not only stayed with them, but he brought Saul to the city to work with him in evangelism and discipleship.
Vs. 1 gives us the list of the leaders in this growing church. Five men are listed as prophets and teachers.
In a general sense, a prophet was a preacher who communicated God’s word to others. We often equate prophets with foretelling the future, as Agabus did in Acts 11: 28. But prophets often engaged in forth-telling, speaking a word from God for the sake of edification and building up the body of Christ. Teachers were involved in discipleship, instructing believers in faith and doctrine. There was somewhat of an overlap between these two tasks, for all prophets could also be viewed as teachers, but not all teachers were prophets.
We know more about Barnabas and Paul than we know about the other three leaders. Barnabas (Joses) gave the money he received from selling a field. When the newly converted Saul had tried to enter the Jerusalem church, Barnabas was the one who persuaded the others to set aside their distrust of the former persecutor. He was also the one chosen by the Jerusalem to check out what was going on in Antioch.
Saul is first mentioned at the death of Stephen. He then launched a terrible persecution of believers. He was converted by an appearance of the living Lord and began to preach Christ. As we have seen, Barnabas was his friend in Jerusalem and gave him his first real ministry opportunity when he brought Saul to Antioch.
Barnabas is listed first, perhaps indicating the senior role he had taken after being sent by the apostles in Jerusalem. Simeon who was called Niger may have been a black man since Niger was the Latin word for black. Although Simeon was a common Jewish name, many scholars assume he was of African descent. It has also been suggested that Simeon is the same Simeon who helped carry the cross of Jesus in Luke 23:26.
The first believers to witness in Antioch were from Cyprus and Cyrene. All we know about Lucius was that he was from Cyrene. Manaen was closely related in early life with Herod the Tetrarch, who later beheaded John the Baptist and mocked Jesus. Manaen was probably Luke’s source for knowledge of the notorious Herodian family.
They in vs. 2 probably refers to the five leaders. Ministered to the Lord probably means worshiping Him. They also fasted. While they were doing this, the Holy Spirit spoke to them, The early Christians did not observe formal fasts, but they fasted when they were seeking God’s direction. In this case, they received a message to set apart Barnabas and Saul, two of their number. They were chosen for a vital new ministry to which God was calling them. God was calling them to be missionaries. He may already have put it on the hearts of Barnabas and Saul, but He made it clear to all five leaders.
The word they in vs. 3 probably refers to the congregation as a whole. The church did five things. One, they recognized that his was the of Lord. Two, they fasted. Three, they prayed. Four, they laid their hands on them. Five, they sent them away.
The laying on of hands was not what we call an ordination because they were not being approved as deacon, pastor, or some other office in the church. The church’s action was more like a commissioning service for missionaries.
The words sent them away means “let them go.” The church released them from their duties there and thus freed them for a larger mission. We can imagine some possible misgiving of the Antioch church. They might have objected that they were sending away two of their leaders.
They might have objected to sending missionaries when they had hardly scratched the surface of their own city. We have no indication that anyone raised these objections, but they have often been asked throughout Christian history. Why send our brightest and best to foreign lands?
Why go to other lands when so many are lost all around us? It is not either/or but both/and
The truly evangelistic church is also a strong missionary church.
The believers at Antioch were the first to be called “Christians.” Although the title is found only three times in the N.T., it is often used by non-Christians to describe Christ’s followers.
What is a Christian? One way to answer this question is to look at the believers in the Antioch church. They believed in Christ. They accepted other believers as brothers in Christ. They studied and taught the things of Christ. They ministered to others in the name of Christ. They supported the missionary effort commanded by Christ.
Notice what the church did after ministering the Lord, fasting, and receiving this word from God: They fasted and prayed some more! This could be a continuation of the same fast in vs. 2, but it is likely that this was another special occasion. The first mission to the Gentiles was a significant venture directed by God, and they set aside a time of great solemnity to humble themselves before God and commission these two men.
As noted earlier, the church did not set apart Barnabas and Saul as a ceremony of ordination to an office, and the laying on of hands was not for that purpose. Both men already had been engaged in the preaching of the gospel, so this was not an ordination to that role. Nor was it an ordination to apostleship. No apostles were ordained to that task, and Paul wrote that Christ Himself ordained him to that task. Besides Barnabas was not an apostle. The laying on of hands, then, was a symbolic gesture of the congregation’s affirmation of and endorsement of the work in which Barnabas and Saul were about to engage. In their travels, Barnabas and Saul; always felt themselves under the authority of the church that had commissioned them.
When God issues a call to someone for a particular ministry or task. He affirms that call through the church. As God calls us to service, we also serve under the authority of His church.
PLEASE TURN IN YOUR BIBLE TO ACTS 14: 1-7.
2. PLEASE READ ACTS 14: 1-7.
If you have a map of Paul’s missionary journeys, you can locate where he and Barnabas visited on their first journey. They went out from Antioch in Syria. They went to Cyprus, and island in the Mediterranean Sea, west from Antioch. John Mark went with them. Arriving at the port of Salamis, they preached God’s message in the synagogue. They next went to Paphos, where they were opposed by a Jewish sorcerer, Bar Jesus, whom Paul condemned to blindness. The Roman proconsul, Sergius Paulus made a profession of faith. One significant event was that Saul began to be called Paul, and he became the leader.
They sailed north to Perga, where Mark left to return home. This may have been because Paul had become the leader of the missionary team. They arrived in Antioch of Pisidia, went to the synagogue, and asked permission to speak. Paul’s sermon was rooted in the O.T. Scriptures and magnified the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He extended God’s offer of salvation through faith and warned against hardhearted rejection.
The initial response was positive, particularly among the Gentiles: but opposition developed from some of Paul’s fellow Jews. They were especially offended by Paul’s quotation about the Messiah being a light to the Gentiles. Paul and Barnabas said they needed to tell the good news to the Jews, but since they rejected the message, they were turning to the Gentiles. This emphasis pleased the Gentiles and many believed.
The opponents of Paul stirred up a persecution, and Paul and Barnabas moved on to Iconium. The believers left in Antioch of Pisidia were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
The missionary trip of Barnabas and Saul took them through many cities, but we will use the events that happened in the city of Iconium as an example of the way they carried out their missionary endeavors.
The pattern was for Barnabas and Saul to go first to their own people: the Jews. A visiting rabbi would be welcome to speak in the local synagogue, so Paul was allowed to share the gospel. Typically, though, the Jews rejected the message, so Barnabas and Paul went to the Gentiles.
Arriving
in Iconium…they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews.
This shows that their words in Acts 13:46 did not mean that the
missionaries had given up on the Jews. Paul continued his practice of
going first to the synagogue when he moved to anew town. What is a
synagogue? Why did Paul begin there? A synagogue is a local place of
worship for Jews. The O.
T. emphasized the importance of
worshiping in the temple, but the destruction of the temple in 586
B.C. and the scattering of the survivors made necessary local places
of worship. The synagogue was a place where the Scriptures were read,
prayers were made, and sermons were preached. Although some Jews
returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple after the exile, many
remained in lands outside of the holy land. They worshiped in
synagogues. Even in Judea during the first century, synagogues were
used.
This dispersion of Jews throughout the ancient world was one way that God prepared the world for the coming of Christ and the spreading of the gospel message. Even in the most pagan cities there were colonies of Jews. They believed the same Scriptures as Paul, and they were looking for the coming Messiah. These facts gave Christians a ready-made group to hear the good news.
Another way God prepared the world was that some Gentiles were attracted by the Jewish religion. These God-fearing Gentiles were allowed in the synagogues. They were another ready-made congregation for the Christian gospel. In fact, they were often more responsive to the gospel than the Jews. The Jews were willing to accept Gentiles as converts but only if they wee circumcised and keepers of the law. But the Jews were offended by Paul’s claim that conversion was available only through faith in Christ.
Earlier in Antioch in Pisidia, Paul told the unbelieving Jews, “It was necessary that God’s message be spoken to you first. But since you reject it, and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.” Paul’s words sound very final, but they only applied to his dealings with the city of Antioch in Pisidia. Even though Paul became know as the apostle to the Gentiles, he never gave up on his own people.
We are not told what Paul preached in Iconium, but we can assume that his message was similar to his sermon in Antioch. As in Antioch the initial response in Iconium was positive: A great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Gentiles believed. Unfortunately some people strongly opposed the missionaries “The Jews who refused to believe stirred up and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against the brothers.” In spite of this opposition, the missionaries stayed there some time and spoke boldly, in reliance on the Lord.”
God bore witness to the word of grace by empowering the missionaries to perform signs and wonders through them. Miracles in themselves do not always lead people to faith. Committed unbelievers tend to try and explain away miracles, but those with an open mind and a spark of faith are influenced for good.
Paul and Barnabas faced opposition, not from the Gentiles, but from their fellow Jews, the Jews who refused to believe. Their refusal means a total unwillingness to accept what they heard, and thus, an unwillingness to obey.
Not to believe God’s Word is to disobey God’s Word. It was bad enough that they would not believe, but they also stirred up and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles. The unbelieving Jews sought to exasperate the Gentiles and keep them from following the truth.
The phrasing literally means the Jews caused the minds of the Gentiles to think evil.
We can assume they were successful with some of the Gentiles, but there was still a contingency of both Jews and Gentiles who became Christians. Rather than shaking the dust from their feet as they had done in Antioch in Pisidia, Barnabas and Paul chose to stay in Iconium, perhaps even finding in the persecution an impetus to continue their witness. The power of the Christian witness can be seen in that, even though they faced opposition, they spoke boldly and in reliance on the Lord.
They stayed there for some time, indicating that they were given a great opportunity, in spite of the opposition, to evangelize in the city and disciple the new believers. God Himself affirmed the truthfulness of their message by granting that signs and wonders be performed through them.
Throughout the N.T., signs and wonders were given to point to something else. That is why they are called signs. The signs and wonders gave credibility to the message that was unproven among these people. How did they know these two strangers had not just made this wild story of the death and resurrection of Christ? A man might be able to make up a story, but he could not generate a miracle on his own. Signs and wonders pointed to God. If God was behind the miracles, then He was also behind the gospel message.
We should not overlook one other way God affirmed the truth of the gospel: the changed lives of those who believed. The conversion of a sinner is always a testimony to the power of God.
To many it may not seem as “spectacular” as signs and wonders, but that new believer and those who know him best, it is no less a miracle.
Barnabas and Paul were able to reach many with the gospel, but the people of the city were divided. This is a reference to the Gentile population, for Luke noted that some of these Gentiles took the side of the Jews and others took the side of the apostles. We noted earlier that Barnabas did not hold the office of an apostle, but here and in vs. 14 he is referred to as one. These are the only two instances where the word is applied to anyone except Paul and the 12 disciples. In this passage, then, we should use the term, not as an office, but in its general meaning of one who is sent. These two men were sent by God and by the church in Antioch to be missionaries in this region.
Paul and Barnabas could still work in a divided city. But when that divisiveness turned into an attempt….to assault and stone them, it was time to move on. An assault carries the idea of an impetuous, even aggressive excitement. James used the same word to describe the winds that drove a large ship. The assault had not yet taken place, but the mood of the city was definitely a movement toward that end. What was being proposed was nothing short of a mob lynching.
As in Antioch in Pisidia, Paul and Barnabas did not flee at the first sign of opposition. When rejected by one group (the Jews), they simply turned their attention to the other group (the Gentiles). In both cases, Paul and Barnabas left only when both groups rose up together in opposition to them.
Paul never showed a fear of risk or even arrest, but he would not willingly place himself in a position where he would die, knowing that his mission in the area was not yet complete.
When Paul and Barnabas learned of the violence that was boiling, they wisely left to continue their mission elsewhere. Barnabas and Paul had been visiting with influence, and they continued this practice by going to the Lycaonian towns called Lystra and Derbe.
A new imperial road connected these towns to Antioch and Iconium, so any evangelistic efforts could easily spread to other areas. They didn’t have to travel far to Lystra, only about 20 miles, but Derbe was 60 miles southeast of Lystra. We are told a little about their work in Lystra in vs. 8-20, but Derbe is only mentioned in vs. 20.
Barnabas and Paul did not limit themselves to major cities, though, for they also evangelized in the surrounding countryside. They extended their efforts to the smaller villages and remote settlements scattered in the area.
As they traveled from Lystra to Derbe, they certainly evangelized anywhere they could find people willing to listen. The key thing we should catch is that, despite opposition and even being forced to leave one city for another, they kept evangelizing.
We are never to share Christ in our own power, but we are to rely completely on Him and speak in His name. We should not back off in the face of opposition, for opposition may even give us the opportunity to share the gospel.
3. PLEASE READ ACTS 14: 21-23.
In Lystra the missionaries saw a man who had never been able to walk, and seeing his faith, Paul healed him. The pagan people of the area concluded that the two missionaries were two gods from Mt. Olympus. The local priest came to offer them garlands and prepared to offer them sacrifices. When Paul and Barnabas recognized what the people were doing, they denied
Being gods and told them of the one true God.
Enemies from Antioch and Iconium tracked the missionaries down and stoned Paul, leaving him for dead. The disciples gathered around Paul. He got up and went into Lystra. The next day the missionaries went on to Derbe.
In Derbe they carried on a successful evangelistic mission. Many became disciples in that town. The missionaries began to make plans to return to the church at Antioch in Syria that had sent them out. One purpose for this was to report their work to the church. Another may have been an awareness of a strong difference of opinion that led to the conference of Acts 15.
Paul and Barnabas did not take the shortest route back to Antioch; instead they chose---no doubt with the Spirit’s leadership---to retrace their steps. This choice of a return trip took them to three places from which they had been forced to flee because of threats against their lives. Why did they revisit these cities?
William Ramsey, a 19th century historian, Bible student, and archaeologist gave this, as at least a partial explanation as to why the missionaries risked returning. “New magistrates had now come into office in all the cities whence they had been driven; and it was therefore possible to go back. If this was true, it could make a difference in their reception.
Roman officials were generally tolerant of Paul, especially when they learned he was a Roman citizen. However the missionaries were not placing their hope on favorable Roman officials but on the power of the Lord.
Their return to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch was a risky action that took considerable courage. After all, enemies from these cities not only persecuted Paul when he was in the city, but they also went to other cities to try and kill him.
It’s interesting to notice that there were churches in these cities. Nothing was said about churches being started on the initial visit to these places; but apparently Paul and Barnabas had left behind churches. They knew that believers needed to be part of a local church; therefore, they not only evangelized lost people but also began churches.
Vs.22-23 tell us five things they did when they revisited these churches. For one thing, they were confirming the souls of the disciples. The believers were new to the faith and needed to be strengthened in order to grow as Christians and meet the challenges they faced. Paul’s own testimony was, “I can do all thing through Christ which strengtheneth me.” They needed to teach these new believers that lesson.
The second thing they did was encouraging them to continue in the faith. The familiar verb means to encourage, Barnabas had the nickname of exhorter or encourager. The things he did are examples of encouragement. When he was sent to Antioch of Syria he encouraged all of them to remain true to the Lord.
The third thing they did was challenge. They had faced opposition and persecution in each of the cities. They knew the Christians there would be called on to endure through much tribulation for the sake of the kingdom of God.
The fourth thing was to help the church get organized so “they appointed” or ordained “elders.”
The verb for “appointed” means “to approve by a show of hands,” but it can also mean “to appoint.”
John Polhill commented concerning the use of this word: “This seems to be an exception to the more common practice of the congregation appointing its leadership. Perhaps in those early congregations the wisdom of the apostles was needed in establishing solid leadership over those so recently converted from paganism. Perhaps even in these instances the selection of the apostles were confirmed by vote of the congregations.
The meaning of elders is defined differently by churches of different kinds. Out of the same N.T. have come a variety of church offices and forms of church government. The Greek word for elders is presbyterous, the basis for the English words Presbyterian and priest, which illustrates the variety of interpretations possible. Baptists generally see elder as another way of describing a pastor. In speaking to the elders of the church at Ephesus, Paul called on them to exercise oversight over the church and to shepherd the flock. The word pastor means “shepherd.”
The fifth thing was that the missionaries commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.
Witnessing for Christ can bring persecution, but believers must continue to be faithful.
NEXT WEEK FROM ACTS 15 WE LEARN “WHAT WE DO WHEN WE DISAGREE AT CHURCH.” A.V. DAUGHERY <altav@swbell.net>