Podcasts about antioch acts

Church Expands G'day and welcome to Partake! We are now on day 29 of our series "Glimpses", looking at the story of the Bible in 30 days - from the time of creation through to the time of the fullness of redemption! We saw last time Jesus making a sudden reappearance which resulted in the conversion of one of the main persecutors of the church - Saul, who later changed his name to Paul. We saw also a problem to be solved, it was done so judiciously and it was decided that salvation was by grace alone through Jesus' death on the cross and through the Holy Spirit alone. The church had begun to spread throughout the Roman Empire from its birthplace in Jerusalem. Remember back to the day of Pentecost and the Holy Spirit first came? The people there had gone back to their own countries and cities: places such as : Egypt, Arabia, Libya, Italy, Greece, Judea, Elam, Media, Mesopotamia, Cappadocia, Pontus, Pamphylia, Phrygia, Asia, Crete, Cyrene and Crete, parts of the Parthian Empire and of course even the headquarters of the Roman Empire, Rome! As far as we know, from the Bible record, the most effective missionary was Paul, and that's because most of what we call the New Testament consists of letters written by him. Here are the places he and his various teams of people visited on what we call his missionary journeys. You can read about them in the book of Acts. Paul's First Missionary Journey The first journey was to places such as: Antioch (Acts 13:4), Seleucia and sailed to Cyprus. From there they went to Salamis and Paphos (Acts 13:4-6). Then onwards to Perga in Pamphylia, which is now southern Turkey. At Antioch in Pisidia, Paul deliberately plans to take the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46). Then Iconium (Acts 14:3), Lystra (Acts 14:19), and Derbe. Where they went back to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch (in Pisidia) (Acts 14:21), before going throughout Pisidia, Pamphylia, then to Perga, Attalia, and returning to Antioch in Syria (Acts 14:24-26). Paul's Second Missionary Journey The second journey begins, Paul goes through Syria and Cilicia (now southeastern Turkey), coming to Derbe and Lystra, and then onto Phrygia and Galatia, before passing through Mysia to Troas, the island of Samothracia, and then to Neapolis in Macedonia (now northern Greece) and Philippi (Acts 16:14-34). Passing through Amphipolis and Appolonia, they came to Thessalonica. After teaching in Berea, Paul departed into Achaia (now southern Greece), to Athens (Acts 17:14-15). Then Paul then makes his first visit to Corinth (Acts 18:5)! Paul leaves Corinth to go to Cenchrea and then across to Ephesus and Caesarea, before finishing up in Antioch in Syria. Paul's Third Missionary Journey Paul's third journey begins in Galatia (central region of Turkey) and then to Phrygia (Acts 18:23) before arriving in Ephesus where he stayed for 3 years (Acts 20:31). Paul then went to Troas and continued to Macedonia (2 Corinthians 2:12-13 and 7:5). After going through Macedonia (northern Greece), Paul came to Achaia (southern Greece) (Acts 20:2-3), makes a third visit to Corinth before headed back to Macedonia (Acts 20:1) and onto Philippi (Acts 20:6). Following this, Paul went to Troas, Assos, Mitylene, Chios, Samos, Trogylium, Miletus (now in southwestern Turkey), Coos, Rhodes, Patara, Tyre (in Lebanon), Ptolemais and to Caesarea before finishing back in Jerusalem. Paul's final journey Paul in Jerusalem, is beaten by the Jewish authorities (Acts 22) and taken to trial before them. Many Jews wanted to kill him (Acts 23:12) for his service to Jesus Christ. Paul is taken before the Roman Governor Felix at Caesarea (Acts 24:10) and when the reign of Portius Felix begins, Paul appeals to Caesar in Rome! Paul was a Roman citizen, he was innocent of the crimes bought against him and it was his right to appeal to the Roman emperor! So He did and Paul's final journey starts in Acts 25:11. The boat sails to Sidon, Myra (now southern Turkey) and on to Crete (Acts 27:7-13), Melita, near Sicily, Syracuse, Rhegium (southern tip of Italy), then to Puteoli (on the western coast of Italy). Finally, Paul ends up in Rome (Acts 28:30)! During all these journeys, Paul has endured persecution, beatings, stonings, whippings, imprisonment, mock trials and shipwrecks! In 2 Corinthians 11 you can read all that Paul endured and he sums it up 2 Corinthians 12:10 "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." Paul was an amazing man! Issues in the Churches of the Bible Lets look now at some of the issues of the churches at that time, and we see this best by looking very briefly at some of the letters of the New Testament, written by Paul, Peter, John, James and Jude. Romans: Paul's letter to the church in Rome presents God's plan of salvation, which sees it extended to all of humanity based solely on Jesus Christ' work on the cross and received by an individual's faith in Him alone. 1 Corinthians: At Corinth, the church was an established church, taught by Paul, yet they were not living he had taught by him. Members of the church were living improper lives and Paul wrote to correct them, with the love of a pastoral heart. 2 Corinthians: here due to people doubting his integrity and authority, Paul presents his authority, message, sufferings, disappointments, responsibilities, blessings, and hope. Ephesians: Paul discusses the position of Christian believers before God - that they are now children of God! He then goes on to discuss the daily function of the Christian, including living a life worthy of Jesus Christ, supremely by serving others. 1 Thessalonians: Paul is unable to revisit this new group of believers who are under attack and persecution. He commences with some personal reflections and continues on to teach, stabilize, console and to encourage them in their Christian walk. 2 Thessalonians: The Thessalonian church is still enduring persecution. Central to this letter is Paul's concern for them regarding the coming again of the Lord, where some believed it had already occurred. 1 Timothy: Paul the apostle delegates authority to Timothy, his personal representative in Ephesus. His instructions include Timothy's life and ministry as an apostolic representative and about the organization, function, and edification of the church. This includes countering all kinds of false teaching about Jesus the Christ. James: James writes to scattered and leaderless Jewish believers who still met at a synagogue and were enduring hardship. James urges them to keep going and develop an active working faith that is actively working and to live a morally and ethically correct life. 1 Peter: Peter writes to believers undergoing suffering & persecution. He instructs them toward Christian stability, and the proper expression of this stability and growth. Peter stresses a hope that is alive, glorious and certain, and because of that can endure persecution and suffering. 2 Peter: Peter is dying as he writes this letter to a group of believers who are enduring trials and being confronted with false teachers. He also clarifies teaching about the Last Days. 1 John: John writes about fellowship which comes through obedience to the Word of God and through confession of sin when sin is committed. John also writes to tackle false Gnostic teachers who were challenging the teachings of Jesus' apostles. Jude: Jude writes warning against apostasy, which is giving up and abandoning a belief in Jesus and going back to old ways. . He urges his readers to recognize the problem and fight for the faith. Through these letters of the New Testament, we see the early church dealing with issues of doctrine and teaching, countering false teachings about salvation and Jesus' return, warning against apostasy and encouraging wholesome living and service as believers in Jesus Christ. The church has grown and spread throughout most of the known world in obedience to Jesus' last command to go to all nations. This growth of the church is the greatest evidence of Jesus' bodily resurrection from the dead. His resurrection was the catalyst to turn 11 frightened men, his disciples, into the leaders of the early church. But Jesus also promised that He would come back again and that's what we will look at next time, in our final part of Glimpses! Thank you. Original Maps found at http://www.generationword.com/ Tap or click here to download as a MP3 audio file

7/6/25 Sunday School message

Sermons, June 2025, Acts, Church on the Move, Missions, Pastor Ray Fowler

The talk from our morning service on the 15th of June 2025

My Story   Talk 19  Ministry in Basingstoke 1968-78 Part 4 Welcome to Talk 19 in our series where I am reflecting on God's goodness to me throughout my life. Today I'll be talking about how, while I was at Basingstoke, the Lord started to open up a wider ministry overseas.   It all began when early in 1971 Willy Droz, a pastor from Switzerland appeared on my doorstep and introduced himself. He had trained at the International Bible Training Institute in Sussex where he had met his wife Brenda. He knew about me through the SPF newsletter which reported details of my travels around the universities preaching on the baptism in the Holy Spirit. He was organising a youth weekend retreat at les Rasses in the Swiss Jura mountains and asked if I would be the main speaker.   I had not been to Switzerland since my first visit in 1958 when I heard about the baptism in the Spirit from Laurie Dixon, and I eagerly accepted the invitation. But I first made sure that they would not expect me to preach in French. There are no less than four different languages spoken in Switzerland, German, French, Italian, and Romansh (spoken only by a small minority). Les Rasses is in the French-speaking area, known also as La Suisse Romande.   It was fifteen years since I had taken my French A level and I had forgotten, or thought I had forgotten, all of it. So I was grateful for the assurance that my preaching would be interpreted, which was a particularly interesting experience as I was at least familiar with the language into which I was being interpreted. In some ways it's much easier when you don't know the language and just have to trust the interpreter, but, when you know the language, you're constantly checking to make sure the interpreter is getting it right! And on one occasion I surprised everyone by saying, Non, je n'ai pas dit cela – No, I didn't say that.   So the French I had learnt at school had not entirely deserted me, but I have to confess that, when I was introduced to the wife of the pastor from Geneva, I could not even remember how to say, I'm pleased to meet you. It was only when in La Chaux-de-Fonds they lodged me for a few days with an elderly woman who spoke no English, that I was compelled to speak French and found the language coming back to me.   But I was far from ready to start preaching in French. The opportunity to do so came three years later in March 1974 as the result of my meeting Jerry Sandidge at an SPF house party at Capel, then the home of the Elim Bible College. Jerry told me he was the director for University Action in Eurasia for the American Assemblies of God, had heard about my ministry in Britain and the USA – about which, more later – and invited me to preach in the University of Louvain (or Leuven) in Belgium on the subject, Charismatic Gifts – are they for today?   He also said that he could arrange for me to speak at CBC, the Continental Bible College, later to become the Continental Theological Seminary, near Brussels, where they had two language streams, one in English and the other in French. It was there, I think, that I first met Warren Flattery, who asked if I would mind taking one of his French classes.             In French? I asked.             Oh no, he said, I always do it in English. To which I responded by politely asking how long he had been living in a French speaking country, and didn't he think he ought to be doing it in French? And so I asked him for a French Bible and, as I had a day or so to prepare for it, after apologising to the class up front for the mistakes I was sure to make, I somehow managed to preach my first sermon in French. At the end of which the class applauded and Warren said,             Lui, s'il peut le faire, moi, je peux le faire!             If he can do it, I can do it!   And the class applauded again, and from then on Warren took all his classes in French. In my case, the applause was certainly not for the quality of my French, but, I suspect, was an expression of sympathy and appreciation that I had made the effort.   The next opportunity came in 1977 as a result of my meeting Marie-France, a French student at Mattersey. The Bible College had moved in 1973 from Kenley to Mattersey and in 1976, in the final week of the summer term, I was giving a lecture when I happened to mention that on one occasion in Switzerland I had spoken to someone in French. Marie-France approached me afterwards, pleased to know that there was someone she could speak to in her own language.   The outcome of that conversation was that over the next few years Marie-France came to stay with us in Basingstoke on several occasions. She became a good friend of our family and a great help to me in improving my spoken French. Several of my sermons had been recorded on cassettes and Eileen had patiently typed them up, word for word as I had preached them. Marie-France kindly offered to translate them for me, so that I could refer to them whenever I might need to preach in French.   The following year, having heard about me from Marie-France, the pastor of her church in Paris invited me to preach whenever I would next be on the continent. So while I was in Brussels for a fortnight writing a course for ICI (International Correspondence Institute, later to become Global University) – more of which later – I travelled to Paris for the weekend and preached one of the sermons Marie-France had translated for me. The French, of course, was excellent, but I can't say the same about the delivery! I was so nervous that I read every word of it! And I did the same the following year when Willy Droz arranged for me to preach in several churches in Switzerland – Vevey, Ste. Croix, Payerne, Lausanne, Saxon, Colenberg, Neuveville, Couvet. I think it was in Vevey that some people came up to me after the service and, after chatting with me, in French of course, for about twenty minutes said, Thank you for your message. It was very good. But why did you read it all? To which I replied that someone had translated it for me and that I did not have enough confidence in my French to do it without reading it. But they replied, You've been speaking with us in perfectly good French for the last 20 minutes. You should trust in the Lord. And I can hardly believe that I made the following stupid reply, Yes, I know how to trust the Lord in English, but I don't know how to trust him in French! But the time did come when occasionally I would have to trust the Lord to help me preach in French without notes, but that's a story for a later talk. It's time now to mention the trips I made to the USA while we were still in Basingstoke.   I have already mentioned John Miles who was my closest friend while we were at Oxford. He was part of that group of Pentecostal students who very much took the initiative in the formation of the Students' Pentecostal Fellowship. After graduating John spent a year or so school teaching in England before going to the Congo as a missionary. It was there he met and married Sara, an American missionary and where their first child Julia was born. By 1972 they were back in the USA where John did a PhD in French at the University of Illinois and eventually became Professor of French at Wheaton College.   However, at one point they were thinking of returning to Congo and in 1972 John wrote to me saying that, if I was thinking of visiting them in the States, I should do so fairly soon. His letter coincided with one of my regular visits to Kenley Bible College where I met Don Mallough, a guest lecturer from America who, over lunch, asked me if I had ever visited the States and encouraged me to go if I had the opportunity.   In those days travelling to the States was far less common than it is today, and to me the decision to go there was far from easy. However, I was talking to Eric Dando, a well-known preacher and member of the AoG Executive Council and asked him what he thought. His reply went something like this: Well, David, I go to America like I go anywhere else. If I feel that I can be a blessing to them and they can be a blessing to me, I go. That put things in perspective for me and on that basis I decided to go, even though at the time I had received no specific invitation to minister anywhere. So I arranged to go for the month of October, and shortly after received an unexpected letter. It was from Jim Hall who had heard about the work I was doing for the SPF in the universities in Britain and asked if I would do something similar in Illinois where he was the Assemblies of God Director for University Action.   So that's what I did. Jim arranged preaching engagements for me in churches morning and evening every Sunday and on Wednesday evenings. An offering was taken in each meeting, half of which was designated for the University Action department, the other half for me, to cover the cost of my airfares and a gift for my ministry. This was a complete surprise for me as I had decided to go to the States before I knew of this.   It was also a wonderful answer to prayer. We had been struggling financially as the church was not yet able to pay me an adequate salary and any funds we originally had as the result of the sale of our bungalow in Colchester had now run out. But now our needs were met, and I came home with a renewed faith and expectation that God would always find a way to meet our financial needs.   But the most satisfying thing about the trip was not the financial reward but the response I received in the churches and universities. I was based at Urbana with John and Sara, and I preached there the first Sunday morning I was there. I preached on repentance and was amazed to see how many people came forward in response to the appeal. I received a similar response everywhere I went, and I quickly learnt how different Americans are from us Brits in responding to an appeal.   But for most of the month I was travelling around the state of Illinois accompanied by Jim Hall who acted as my chauffeur and guide and was a great encouragement to me. We learned a lot from each other over the many miles we travelled together and became great friends. We visited eight universities altogether, spending two days in each. These were: Illinois State University, Normal; University of Illinois, Urbana; Northwestern University, Evanston; Northern Illinois University, DeKalb; Western Illinois University, Macomb; Southern Illinois University Edwardsville; Southern Illinois University, Carbondale; and Eastern Illinois University, Charleston.   Over the course of the three weeks we were touring, dozens of students were baptised in the Spirit and began to speak in tongues, one professor telling me how grateful he was to God ‘for the wisdom he had given' me in the way I taught the Word and how I prayed for people to receive. And Jim Hall was so encouraged that he sent a report about my ministry to Aaron Linford, the editor of Redemption Tidings, which was published shortly after I returned to England.   I made a similar trip to Illinois two years later in October 74, visiting the same universities, but this time speaking on two main themes, The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and The Christan's Armour (Ephesians 6:10-20). On each of these trips I had left Eileen and the children back in England and we all missed each other very much. For Eileen it was particularly difficult as in 1972 Jonathan was only two, and the girls were just seven and eight.   One example of this was when I returned at the end of October 72 and Eileen had driven up to Heathrow with the kids to meet me. During my trip people had asked me about the weather in England and if it was very foggy – I think they must have been watching some of the Sherlock Holmes movies – and I had replied that we occasionally get a bit of fog, but not very much. But ironically, when our flight approached Heathrow, the captain announced that our landing would be delayed because of fog. The delay was so long that we had to go back to Shannon in Ireland to refuel and we eventually landed at Heathrow four and a half hours later than scheduled. And all this time Eileen was waiting with three young children in a very crowded Heathrow. But the third time I went to the States Eileen and the children came with me. This was for six weeks from mid-February to the end of March 1977, and the children had to have special permission to miss school. This was granted on the educational value of the trip and on the condition that whenever possible they went to school in Wheaton, where John and Sara Miles were now living. Most of my ministry during the trip was in churches rather than in universities, although I did speak to students at a breakaway retreat in Carlinville, the headquarters of the Illinois district of Assemblies of God. I also conducted a seminar in Wheaton College on the baptism in the Spirit, more of which in a moment. Once again, the churches we visited were in Illinois. These included Rockford, Urbana, Granite City, Springfield, Naperville, Schaumberg, East Saint Louis (where we took the opportunity to go to the top of the famous arch), and La Grange. The experience at East Saint Louis was interesting for two reasons, first because after the morning service the whole congregation stayed behind for what they called an agapē meal, or love-feast, where they presented a delicious array of both hot and cold dishes.   That church was also significant because during the meal the pastor showed me the notes of a sermon he had preached which were almost identical to what I had preached that morning. It was on the subject of team leadership based on the church in Antioch (Acts 13), about which I will say more next time. The Lord was clearly saying the same thing to different people in different parts of the world.   Our experience at La Grange was even more interesting. I preached there on the first Sunday of our trip and they invited me back for a series of meetings from Sunday to Wednesday towards the end of our stay when I gave a series of talks on Gideon. We were invited by a family whose children were about the same age as ours for a typical Thanksgiving meal specially prepared for us as it was not really the season for Thanksgiving. It was on the Wednesday before the final service and we really enjoyed it, so much so in fact that we arrived a little late for the service and I was so full I could hardly preach!   Even more interesting was the fact that they enjoyed the ministry so much that they asked me if I would seriously consider accepting the pastorate of the church as the pastor had recently announced that he was moving on. The offer was extremely tempting, but, as I will explain later, by this time I was already convinced that the Lord was calling me to Mattersey.   Other significant features of that trip included a visit to the Assemblies of God headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, a journey to Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the invitation of Oral Roberts to attend as his guests a seminar at the Oral Roberts University, and finally, a seminar I was asked to conduct at Wheaton College on the baptism in the Holy Spirit on Saturday 19th March. On the Friday evening I had been asked to appear on television by a Christian TV station in Chicago and was on my way there accompanied by Pastor Tom Richardson when he received a phone call to say that they had made a last-minute decision to have instead a telethon evening to raise much needed funds.   Although this was disappointing, we had no alternative than to return to Wheaton where the next morning I preached on the baptism in the Spirit and several came forward for prayer and were filled with the Spirit. When the meeting was over, one of them asked me if I had heard Professor James Dunn the previous evening.   I said no, at which she expressed some surprise. Dunn, who is well-known for his rejection of the Pentecostal understanding of baptism in the Spirit, had given his reasons for doing so, but I, without knowing what he said, had answered him on every point. This was clearly, without my knowing it, due to the leading of the Holy Spirit in all I had said, and was in itself an evidence of the truth of what I was preaching.

This chapter describes the growth of the church in Antioch, the first place believers are called Christians. Barnabas (the son of encouragement) was sent by the Jerusalem church to Antioch to oversee this new growth and brings Saul with him. They were a powerful team that God used to bring the Word and encourage the believers to remain faithful in spreading the Gospel. May we be just as faithful and committed to sharing the Gospel.  By Dave Bartlett

Message from Mike Seaver on April 27, 2025

see link below: https://pastorsteverhodes.com/2025/04/27/paul-preaches-the-gosepl-in-the-synagogue-of-pisidian-antioch-acts-1313-41/

The Rev. Nick Lannon continues his class on the book of Acts with a look at the bulk of chapter 13. First, Paul preaches on the Sabbath in the synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia (v.13-43). Then, he preaches again, with almost the entire city turning out to hear him (v.44-49). Finally for this session, Paul and Barnabas are run out of the city by a mob stirred up by Jews jealous for their synagogue (v.50-52).

New Hub at Antioch - Acts 11:19-30 - Jess Monk - 19th January 2025 (19:00) by Christ Church Winchester

New Hub at Antioch - Acts 11:19-30 - Marcus Dickinson - 19th January 2025 (9:00) by Christ Church Winchester

New Hub at Antioch - Acts 11:19-30 - Chris Whittaker - 19th January 2025 (11:00) by Christ Church Winchester

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How did the Christian Jews respond to Gentiles being saved? Where the term "Christian" come from?

Acts: Advancing in Antioch Acts 11:25-26

Acts Lesson 36 – Chapter 15 cont. 3 THE BOOK OF ACTS Lesson 36, Chapter 15 continued 3 Last time we looked closely at Acts chapter 15 verse 20, where the supreme leader of The Way, Yeshua's brother James, says this referring to the new gentile Believers living in Antioch: Acts 15:20 CJB 20 Instead, […] The post Acts Lesson 36 – Chapter 15 cont. 3 appeared first on Torah Class.

When we put our faith in Jesus, we are no longer required to keep all the Old Testament laws that God gave to Moses. Why? Show Notes: ⁠Episode 298 Subscribe: ⁠My Daily Briefing⁠

Lesson 13: The Disciples are Called Christians at Antioch (Acts 11:1-30; 12:1-13:3)

Indigenous Empowerment: The Return to Antioch | Pastor Michael Mattis Let us know what you think or send us your questions by visiting the site, or simply commenting below. We're glad you're here! Scripture & Literature References: Acts 14:20-28 ---------------------------------------­----------------------------------------­-- CONNECT: Saltbox Small Group Discussion Questions ►https://bit.ly/48DYICt Website ► http://www.SaltboxChurch.com Podcast ► https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/saltboxchurch/ Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/saltboxchurch/ Yellow Truck Coffee Co. ► https://www.yellowtruckcoffeeco.com/ ---------------------------------------­----------------------------------------­--

Paul completes his journey, and he returns to Antioch. While not being his hometown, this is his place. This is the place and people who sent him out to ministry. This is the place of rest for him, of Sabbath for him. Today, where is your Antioch?  Where is your place of rest? Where is your place of Sabbath?  Where is the place you can go to, or the people you can go to, to rest and to restore who you are? We all need an Antioch.  We all need a place of Sabbath. Today, find your place. And spend time there, resting your soul. Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he'll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God's Word.If you'd like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up. Read our passage here - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2018%3A18-23&version=NRSVUEYou can watch this in video form here - https://revandy.org/blog/

God had a plan to grow the church: accept the gentiles, reach them, encourage them, and then create fellowship with them. What does that mean for us?

The 6 Reasons God Chose Antioch | Pastor Michael Mattis Let us know what you think or send us your questions by visiting the site, or simply commenting below. We're glad you're here! Scripture & Literature References: Acts 11:19-26 & 12:25-13:3 ---------------------------------------­----------------------------------------­-- CONNECT: Website ► http://www.SaltboxChurch.com Podcast ► https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/saltboxchurch/ Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/saltboxchurch/ Yellow Truck Coffee Co. ► https://www.yellowtruckcoffeeco.com/ ---------------------------------------­----------------------------------------­--

Followers of Jesus were not always called Christians. The term Christian first appeared in Antioch (Acts 11:26). It is a Latinized form of the word Christ that indicates allegiance and suggests that it arose among the Gentiles. It may originally have been an insult (1 Peter 4:16). Before Jesus’ followers were called Christians, they were called “the Way” (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 24:22). Why were followers of Christ called “the Way”? In Ephesians 4:20, Paul explains that Christianity is more than a set of doctrines. It is also a “way of life” that we must learn. Following Jesus begins with a change of thinking (vv. 17–19). Instead of following the pointless way of thinking of our former life, we are to “put off” the old self and “put on the new self” (vv. 22–24). What Paul describes requires more than adopting a new set of morals. The Christian life demands that we become new people. As verse 23 puts it, the Christian way is a path of renewal in which we are continuously being remade in the image of Christ. Our impulse to sin does not suddenly disappear when we trust in Christ. Nor do we automatically get along with everyone because we belong to Christ. Christians can still behave sinfully and selfishly. Consequently, verses 25–32 call those who follow the way to act out of the new self as they interact with their neighbors. Some of the directives Paul gives may surprise us: stop lying to one another, stop stealing, and get rid of bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, and every form of malice. Christianity is not for the perfect but for those who are being perfected. The power to change comes from God through Christ. Our part is to cooperate with the work that God has begun. >> An old song says, “God’s still workin’ on me.” Where is God working in your life? Today, think about what you need to put off or away and what you need to put on.

I. Spiritual Parenting of Paul & Barnabas in Lystra, Iconium, Antioch - Acts 14:22 II. Spiritual Parenting in Thessalonica - I Thess. 2:7-12

5/4/23. Five Minutes in the Word scriptures for today: Acts 15:22. The Jerusalem Council sends the decision of the whole body to the Antioch church. Resources: enduringword.com; biblehub.com; logos.com; Matthew Henry Commentary; and Life Application Study Bible. Check out my new blog! https://minutesword.blogspot.com/?m=1 #Podchaser list of "60 Best Podcasts to Discover for November 2021" Listen, like, follow, share! #MinutesWord; @MinutesWord; #dailydevotional #christianpodcast #MinutesWord #christianpodcaster Available on Spotify and most podcast apps! #prayforukraine #voiceofthemartyrs #prayforTurkey #prayforSyria

4/27/23. Five Minutes in the Word scriptures for today: Acts 14:26-28. Apostles Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch in Syria to share the report of their successful mission to preach the Gospel to Gentiles. Resources: enduringword.com; biblehub.com; logos.com; Matthew Henry Commentary; and Life Application Study Bible. Check out my new blog! https://minutesword.blogspot.com/?m=1 #Podchaser list of "60 Best Podcasts to Discover for November 2021" Listen, like, follow, share! #MinutesWord; @MinutesWord; #dailydevotional #christianpodcast #MinutesWord #christianpodcaster Available on Spotify and most podcast apps! #prayforukraine #voiceofthemartyrs #prayforTurkey #prayforSyria

Introduction      In the previous section (Acts 4:13-31), the Sanhedrin had evaluated Peter and John (whom they regarded as uneducated men), and after asking them to leave the Council briefly, began to discuss how a noteworthy miracle had been performed in Jerusalem that was witnessed by many. The Sanhedrin were impressed by their confidence and recognized that they had been with Jesus. Despite being ordered to stop speaking about Jesus, Peter and John refused to obey and continued to preach. This shows that some acts of civil disobedience are required by God's people when the civil authorities command something that is contrary to the will of God. After Peter and John left the Council, they reported their encounter to their companions, and they all prayed together for boldness and were filled with the Holy Spirit. The place where they prayed shook, as a sign of God's approval, and they continued to speak the Word of God with confidence. Following Text “And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them” (Acts 4:32).      This newly formed group of believers experienced a radical change of heart, and Luke tells us they were of one heart and soul (καρδία καὶ ψυχὴ μία - kardia kai psuche mia). The heart (καρδία) does not refer to the physical organ, but to the “center and source of the whole inner life, with its thinking, feeling, and volition.”[1] The NT usage of the soul (ψυχὴ) is sometimes difficult to distinguish from the heart, as it too can refer to “the inner life of a person and its various faculties.”[2] When combined together, the heart and soul “denotes the common mind that caused the church to be united at the deepest human level.”[3] The result was an abandonment of self and self-interest, as “not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them.” Here we witness an outward behavior that reflects a transformed heart.       God continued to work through His apostles, as Luke tells us, “And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33). The main purpose of the apostles was witnessing for Jesus. And their witness came with great power (δυνάμει μεγάλῃ dunamei megale), which, considering the context, refers to miracles God was performing through them. The miracles were not an end in themselves, but were intended to be a testimony (μαρτύριον marturion) for the Lord Jesus, specifically concerning His resurrection (ἀνάστασις anastasis) from the dead. The apostles were not pointing others to themselves, but to Jesus. True Christian ministry must always start with Jesus. And referencing only the resurrection seems to be a form of evangelistic shorthand that, by implication, assumes Jesus' death and burial. One cannot have resurrection without the former events, and when taken together, communicates the core of the gospel message.      That Jesus is here called Lord (κύριος kurios) is a reference to His divinity. The Bible presents Jesus as God. In the OT, the proper name of God is YHWH (called the tetragrammaton) and is translated LORD, using all capital letters. When the Septuagint was written around 250 B.C. (the Greek translation of the Hebrew OT) the translators chose the Greek word κύριος kurios as a suitable substitute for the Hebrew name YHWH. Though the word is sometimes used in the NT to mean sir (John 4:11; Acts 16:30), and master (Col. 3:22), it is also used to refer to the deity of Jesus Christ (compare Isa 40:3 and John 1:23; or Deut 6:16 and Matt 4:7; cf. John 20:28; Rom 10:11; Phil 2:11).      And we are told that abundant grace (χάρις τε μεγάλη charis te megale) was upon them all (Acts 4:33b). Grace generally refers to the unmerited favor or kindness that one person freely confers on another without regard to the beauty or worth of the object. Grace has more to do with the heart of the giver who blesses others from the bounty of his/her own goodness. The word grace appears 17 times in the book of Acts and commonly denotes divine enablement to perform a task, which gives success to the ones so blessed (cf., Acts  6:8; 11:23; 13:43; 14:3, 26; 15:11, 40; 18:27; 20:24, 32). God's grace took material form in the early church, as Luke tells us, “For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales 35 and lay them at the apostles' feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need” (Acts 4:34-35).      Meeting needs meant providing the basics of food and clothing. James tells us, “If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,' and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?” (Jam 2:15-16). Paul wrote, “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content” (1 Tim 6:8). It's fine if God blesses us with more than these things, but we should always learn to be content with the basics (Phil 4:11-13). It is assumed in this passage that those who were in need either lacked the ability or opportunity to care for themselves. Biblically, it was expected that if one could work, they should (Deut 24:19-21). Working for food is a biblical principle, as Paul said, “if anyone is not willing to work, neither shall he eat” (2 Th 3:10). No work means no food. Of course, this assumes one has the physical and cognitive ability as well as the opportunity. Naturally, a special dispensation would be granted to those who could not help themselves because of a disability. Later, we're told the apostles were using some of the monetary gifts to help care for widows in “the daily serving of food” (Acts 6:1).      In Acts 4:34-35, we observe that God did not provide for the needy by means of supernatural acts, such as manna or money coming down from heaven to provide for them. No. God chose to meet the needs of the community of believers through His own people, whom He'd blessed greatly with material wealth. These wealthy and openhanded believers served as conduits of His grace, as they sold their land and houses that were of little personal benefit and gave it to help meet the needs of others. In this way, they were making an investment in their future, as God promises to reward such activities in the eternal state (Matt 6:2-4; 1 Cor 3:10-15). It's likely this selling of property lasted over a period of time, perhaps several months, and was limited to those who were willing to give of their resources. Meeting the needs of fellow Christians arose from a heart of compassion, not group coercion. The practice of giving to meet the needs of others was wholly voluntary. Charles Ryrie states: “Money talks!” And it did in the early church. The fellowship was strengthened and needs met by the voluntary agreement to hold things in common. This is not “Christian communism.” The sale of property was quite voluntary (Acts 4:34). The right of possession was not abolished. The community did not control the money until it had voluntarily been given to the apostles. The distribution was not made equally but according to need. These are not communistic principles. This is Christian charity in its finest display.[4]      It is not a sin to be wealthy, as God sometimes blesses His people with great riches. He certainly gave great wealth to Abraham (Gen 13:5-6), Isaac (Gen 26:12-14), Jacob (Gen 32:9-10; 33:11), Job (Job 1:1-3), David (1 Ch 29:1-5), Solomon (1 Ki 10:1-25), among others. Sometimes this wealth came suddenly, such as when God liberated the Israelites from Egyptian slavery (Deut 5:6), and persuaded the Egyptians to give His people vast amounts of silver, gold, and clothing (Ex 3:22). Afterwards, God gave His people the land of Canaan (Deut 4:1; 9:6), which included cities, houses, wells and vineyards for which they did not work (Deut 6:10-11). The Bible also gives wisdom on how to achieve wealth by hard work (Prov 28:19) and investment (Eccl 11:1-2).      It is worth nothing that in the early church, some wealthy Christians continued to own homes, which shows that the selling of property was limited to those who were willing. In acts 12 we're told about Mary, who used her home for godly purposes by opening it for Christians to gather and pray (Acts 12:12). Furthermore, Mary had a “servant-girl named Rhoda” who functioned as her maid (Acts 12:13). This implies the continued possession of wealth. In Acts 16 we're also told about a wealthy woman named Lydia who was a business owner, who was “a seller of purple fabrics” (Acts 16:14), and who later opened her home to Paul and Silas (Acts 16:40). In the Gospel of Luke, we learn there were some wealthy women who financially supported Jesus and His disciples, namely, “Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means” (Luke 8:2-3). These did not cease to be wealthy, but used their wealth for God's purposes.      I know some whom God has gifted with great business acumen. These He has blessed with the “power to make wealth” (Deut 8:18). These same skilled men and women have been generous in their giving to help others, and in this way, have followed Paul's instruction to “those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy; and to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share” (1 Tim 6:17-18). Being wealthy can be a blessing from the Lord, but how one handles that wealth either honors or dishonors Him. And, “A good name is to be more desired than great wealth, and favor is better than silver and gold” (Prov 22:1). The healthy Christian heart is one that looks for needs in others and then seeks to meet them. Paul wrote, “Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor” (1 Cor 10:24). The heart of love “does not seek its own interests” (1 Cor 13:5), but the interests of others. As God's children, “do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil 2:4).      Personally, I wonder if I lost everything I own and were reduced to the basics of food and clothing, would I be content? Would I trust the Lord, knowing and accepting that “God works all things to work together for good to those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28). Would I obey the biblical directives to “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; and in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Th 5:16-18). Would I “Do all things without complaining or disputing” (Phil 2:14). Would I acknowledge God's sovereignty over my life, realizing “The LORD makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts” (1 Sam 2:7). And, would I praise Him, like Job who said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21). The truth is, “we brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either” (1 Tim 6:7), and it helps produce mental and emotional stability if we hold loosely the material things of this life, realizing God owns everything, and that we are but stewards of what He's provided. Meet Barnabas      In the closing verses of this pericope, Luke introduces us briefly to  Barnabas, who will play an important role in the development of the early church. Luke wrote, “Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet”  (Acts 4:36-37). According to the Mosaic Law, Levites were not to own land (Num 18:20, 24); however, this seems to apply only to land in Israel. Joseph was from the island of Cyprus, and Luke tells us he “owned a tract of land” on the island.      The name Barnabas (probably from ברנבו) actually means son of a prophet. The question among some Bible scholars is how this could translate as Son of Encouragement? I think Paul helps us here when he spoke to prophets at the church of Corinth, saying, “For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be encouraged” (1 Cor 14:31). The idea is that a prophet of the Lord would function as one who encouraged others to walk with the Lord and remain faithful to Him.      Concerning Barnabas' character, Luke describes him as a godly man who was noted for his encouragement and willingness to give of his own resources for the benefit of others. Here, the word encouragement translates the Greek noun παράκλησις paraklesis, which, according to BDAG, denotes “emboldening another in belief or course of action, encouragement, exhortation…[the] lifting of another's spirits.”[5]      It would seem Barnabas' life reflected what He saw and experienced in his relationship with God. In Scripture, we learn that God the Father is described as “the God of all grace” (1 Pet 5:10), Who sits upon a “throne of grace” (Heb 4:16), Who “gives grace to the afflicted” (Prov 3:34), and provides salvation “by grace” through faith in Jesus (Eph 2:8-9; cf. Acts 15:11; Rom 3:24). Jesus is said to be “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14), and the Holy Spirit is called “the Spirit of grace” (Heb 10:29). Grace (χάρις charis) is undeserved favor. It is the love, mercy, or kindness that one person freely confers upon another who does not deserve it (Matt 5:44-45; Rom 11:6; Eph 1:6; 2:1-9; 2 Tim 1:9; Tit 3:5-7). And there is nothing more powerful or encouraging than God's grace to warm and motivate His people to action. For what flows down from God to his children, when received with an open heart, will find natural outward expression to others, who will “encourage one another and build up one another” (1 Th 5:11a), and will “encourage one another day after day” (Heb 3:13a). I believe Barnabas was one who drank deeply from the well of God's grace and goodness, and being blessed and encouraged by the Lord, was motivated to do the same to others.      Barnabas' first act of encouragement was witnessed in his willingness to give of his own resources for the benefit of others; specifically, we are told he “owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet” (Acts 4:37). Being a man of grace, he sold his property and gave it to the apostles to be used for ministry purposes. Later, in Acts, we're told that the church at Jerusalem sent Barnabas to Antioch (Acts 11:22), and “when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God” (Acts 11:23a), he “rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord” (Acts 11:23b). Here, the word encourage translates the Greek verb παρακαλέω parakaleo, which means to “call to one's side.”[6] The picture is that of one person who comes alongside others and encourages them to accomplish a task or finish a race. In this case, it meant encouraging these Christians to press on and do God's will. Encouraging other believers “to remain true to the Lord” is what healthy encouragement looks like.      And Barnabas was pivotal to the early church as seen in other passages. For example, it was Barnabas who supported Paul shortly after his conversion, even though others had reservations about him (Acts 9:27). It was Barnabas who bridged the relationship between the church in Jerusalem and the church in Antioch (Acts 11:22). It was Barnabas who connected with Paul and formed a teaching ministry in Antioch that lasted for a year (Acts 11:25-26). It was Barnabas—along with Paul—who was entrusted to deliver a financial donation to suffering Christians in Judea (Acts 11:27-30). It was Barnabas who helped launch the first significant missionary journey into the Gentile world (Acts 13:1-4). It was Barnabas who helped resolve the first major theological issue facing the church (Acts 15:1-25). It was Barnabas who supported Mark, even after he'd failed (Acts 15:37-38), and unfortunately, his support resulted in a major conflict with Paul that resulted in their breaking fellowship for a while (Acts 15:39-41). However, from later biblical passages we know that Barnabas and Paul—men who were both known for their grace and love—reconciled their differences and were reunited in fellowship and ministry (1 Cor 9:6; Gal 2:9). Overall, Barnabas was noted as being an encourager (Acts 11:23), “a good man”, one who was “full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” (Acts 11:24), and one who “risked” his life “for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 15:26). Barnabas was not without his flaws; however, he possessed the qualities one would like to see in a Christian leader, as he sought to build the Christian community by means grace, love, and solid biblical instruction. Churches and Christians need people like Barnabas, who will stand with them, give them wise counsel, and encourage them in their walk with the Lord.      Though some wealthy Christians in the early church had a right attitude about wealth, and operated with humility and grace to meet the needs of fellow Christians (such as Barnabas), what follows in the next chapter reveals that some had impure hearts and suffered from approbation lust, where by deceit they sought the approval of others rather than God. These paid a heavy price for their sin. Summary of Acts 4:32-37:      The early church had a sense of Christian community within itself and those who had wealth voluntarily shared with those who were in need (Acts 4:32-37). Love was the motivation for sharing, as there was no command from heaven and no human pressure from the church leadership to give. What we see is descriptive, not prescriptive.  Passages like Acts 4:32-37 provide an ideal picture of what the church should look like in its everyday functions.     [1] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 508. [2] Moisés Silva, ed., New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014), 730. [3] Ibid., 732. [4] Charles C. Ryrie, Acts of the Apostles, Everyman's Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1961), 35–36. [5] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian, 766. [6] Ibid., 764.

3/15/23. Five Minutes in the Word scriptures for today: Acts 11:25-26. Barnabas brought Saul to Antioch to help with church growth. First time disciples called Christians. Resources: enduringword.com; Matthew Henry Complete Commentary; logos.com; and Life Application Study Bible. #Podchaser list of "60 Best Podcasts to Discover for November 2021" #MinutesWord; @MinutesWord; #dailydevotional #christianpodcast #MinutesWord #christianpodcaster Listen, like, follow, share! Available on Spotify and most podcast apps! #prayforukraine #voiceofthemartyrs #prayforTurkey #prayforSyria

3/13/23. Five Minutes in the Word scriptures for today: Acts 11:19-21. Those who were fleeing persecution carried the gospel to Antioch. Resources: enduringword.com; Matthew Henry Complete Commentary; logos.com; and Life Application Study Bible. #Podchaser list of "60 Best Podcasts to Discover for November 2021" #MinutesWord; @MinutesWord; #dailydevotional #christianpodcast #MinutesWord #christianpodcaster Listen, like, follow, share! Available on Spotify and most podcast apps! #prayforukraine #voiceofthemartyrs #prayforTurkey #prayforSyria

3/14/23. Five Minutes in the Word scriptures for today: Acts 11:22-24. The Jerusalem church sends Barnabas to Antioch to investigate the movement. Resources: enduringword.com; Matthew Henry Complete Commentary; logos.com; and Life Application Study Bible. #Podchaser list of "60 Best Podcasts to Discover for November 2021" #MinutesWord; @MinutesWord; #dailydevotional #christianpodcast #MinutesWord #christianpodcaster Listen, like, follow, share! Available on Spotify and most podcast apps! #prayforukraine #voiceofthemartyrs #prayforTurkey #prayforSyria

372. Aiming At Antioch Acts 11:19-30, 13:1-3 Jeremiah Morris 11102022 by City Church Lagos